


The Offer

by writingstylinson



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Abused Louis Tomlinson, Alpha Edward Styles, Alpha Harry, Alpha Harry Styles, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Businessman Edward, Businessman Harry, Character Development, Courtship, Domestic Fluff, Domestic Violence, Falling In Love, Innocent Louis, Liam Payne & Harry Styles Friendship, Liam Payne & Louis Tomlinson Friendship, Louis in Glasses, M/M, Nervous Louis, Niall Horan & Harry Styles Friendship, Niall Horan & Louis Tomlinson Friendship, Omega Louis, Past Rape/Non-con, Protectiveness, Romance, Scared Louis, Spoiled Louis, The Styles Twins, Werewolf Courting, domestic abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2020-01-12 07:47:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 16
Words: 35,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18442178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingstylinson/pseuds/writingstylinson
Summary: In a world where male omegas are rare and often sold to the highest bidder, Louis belongs to a wealthy and well-known alpha. He doesn't expect his life to change from the monotonous routine of cleaning the apartment, cooking three meals a day, performing sexual favors, and showing up to events as arm candy.Then, equally respective businessmen make an offer for him.





	1. Chapter 1

A drink referred to as the lemon drop is placed down in front of Louis and he watches it for a minute. He pinches the slim base and brings the martini glass up so it's eye level, only to then furrow his eyebrows. There's a powder around the rim. Louis pokes his tongue out and licks a stripe of sugar off the glass. He smacks his lips as he swirls around the pale yellow liquid before he brings it to his lips and takes a sip.

 

Louis turns his back to the bar and is faced with the crowd he's supposed to be rubbing elbows with. Well, Zayn is. He's just here to draw people over to the two of them. Louis leans up on his toes and tries his best to spot the man he came here with. If he had to guess, he would estimate that seventy percent of the people here are men. All of which are wearing some form of the typical black suit.

 

Then Louis spots him.

 

What Louis should've thought of to look for first were men with hair. He was at a party for business owners to network, and Louis could count the men under fifty on one hand. He starts to excuse himself around a few groups of people, some of which that are dancing and the others that are laughing over their own alcoholic beverages, offering polite smiles at anyone who actually looks at him.

 

Zayn is standing in front of a white poster with a quote typed in Times New Roman: Only Love Can Drive Out Hate. He has his chin held high and a glass of brandy in his right hand. He's in the middle of a conversation with a man who could qualify as a hazard, as the buttons of his shirt hold on by a single thread. Hanging onto the man's arm is a woman who giggles at any joke he makes.

 

Louis hooks his arm with Zayn's left elbow as he leans up and pecks his jaw. He's learned not to interrupt Zayn when he's in the middle of something, whether it's a conversation, work, or even as he tries to decide between two shirts. Louis making his presence known was a science that he had only recently figured out. He gives the man a simple kiss on his cheek then waits for when he's ready to give him his undivided attention.

 

As Louis stays by Zayn's side, his eyes and mind start to wander away from the conversation. This event was really no different than a pissing contest. Louis looks around at his surroundings and notices a metal vent that runs along the ceiling. As there are brick walls and metal stools, he wonders if the vent was left exposed to help convey the industrial theme.

 

Louis looks away from the decor and back down to his drink. He twirls the glass in his hand as he watches the liquid swirl along. It's still nearly filled to the rim. Louis had never been too keen on drinking alcohol, but sometimes there was nothing else for him to do. It was inappropriate to pull out his phone. It also wasn't like he could discuss business with anyone since he only completed his education through secondary school. Louis' been legal to drink for a year now though, so it's a couple of alcoholic beverages that hold him through. Otherwise, he sticks to water.

 

He takes another sip.

 

"Is this the man that finally tied you down?" a nasally voice questions.

 

Louis lifts his head and notices three sets of eyes on him.

 

"I didn't think I'd ever see the day Mr. Malik settled down."

 

He offers a half-hearted chuckle as everyone else laughs. He then brings the glass to his lips and gulps down half of what is left, averting his eyes.

 

Louis doesn't attend too many events with Zayn, as he prefers to bundle up with a book in his free time, but he knows his purpose when he does. He's there to be shown off. Louis was a male omega, which is rare as they only make up one percent of the population. There are more redheads in the world than there are of his kind. It was a common practice for them to be purchased as a potential mate by the wealthy. If you had a male omega on your arm, you were filthy rich.

 

It's been a year since Louis was forced to leave his home in Doncaster and move to London to live with a millionaire. A long year. He had been groomed to be obedient and to take care of his future mate since he presented as omega at the age of sixteen. Louis was a pro at removing any stain and he cooked three homemade meals a day. Aside from the daily tasks he performs, he still hasn't quite adjusted to the new lifestyle. He had gone from being in everyone's shadow to being in the spotlight.

 

He looks up when the man addresses him.

 

"You're very pretty for a male omega," the man says before he turns to Zayn, "how much did you shell out for him? A pretty thing like him had to cost a fortune."

 

Louis doesn't think he can remember the last time he received a genuine compliment. One that didn't feel like someone backhanded him or was only said with the expectation of receiving something.

 

"He surely wasn't cheap," Zayn starts as he moves his hand to rest on Louis' lower back, "I just about used my life savings to snag him."

 

Louis' eyes widen as he's turned sideways and a large hand grabs his ass.

 

"Worth every cent."

 

It takes everything inside Louis for him to refrain from smacking Zayn across the face. He bites down hard on his bottom lip and starts to taste a hint of blood. He's not allowed to let this affect him. Hell, he's supposed to expect and accept it. Louis breathes in through his nose then lets out a long and shallow breath.

 

He rests a hand on Zayn's shoulder and excuses himself to the bathroom.

 

Louis walks away from the small group and glances around the large room, only to realize that he has no idea where the bathroom is. He screws his lips to the side. Louis notices a handful of people to his left making their way up a flight of steel stairs, and he decides to follow after them. There was an entire second floor that he failed to explore since he arrived almost three hours ago.

 

Once Louis makes his way to the top of the stairs, he notices that there's at least half the number of people than there are on the first floor. If he wanted, he could spread his arms out without hitting anyone. There's a line of lights that stick out from the opposing walls that run along the length of the room, but they give off a more yellow glow than white. If Louis had to comment on it like he understood design, he would say it complemented the brick walls and steel rectangular tubing that arches over his head.

 

Louis crosses the room to the glass double doors and steps out onto the balcony. He's hit by a wave of fresh air and he can already feel goosebumps starting to rise along his skin. To his right are two other men sitting off in the corner as they smoke cigars. They're too engrossed in their own conversation to acknowledge that anyone has joined them and it's a relief. Louis hooks his finger into the knot of his tie and starts to loosen it. Despite the cooler breeze, it still feels like he can't catch his breath.

 

After Louis' tie is loosened to droop around his collarbones and he unbuttons the top two button of his shirt, he grips onto the railing as he drops his head down. He doesn't have any cold water to splash onto his face, but at least he has an ample amount of space. Louis steps towards the railing and raises a hand to rake through his hair, a cloud unraveling from his thin lips.

 

Louis can see The London Eye light up in the usual red color, and for a split second, he forgets that he's not watching from his bedroom balcony. Between the occasional change in color and the slow rotation, it had become an item that helped lull him to sleep every night.

 

He jumps when a deep voice speaks from behind him, "I think I prefer the skyline in New York."

 

The man stands off to Louis' left and he has to strain his eyes to make out his appearance. From what Louis can tell, the man is wearing a pinstripe suit with black boots. His hair is also parted to the right and falls in loose curls above his eyebrows.

 

He radiates the scent of sandalwood and Louis finds himself leaning closer to inhale more.

 

"M'Harry," he says as he holds out his hand.

 

If Louis didn't feel small enough as the man towered over him, Harry's large hand swallowing his own sure did. "Louis."

 

He watches as Harry's hands slide into his pockets then looks out at the scenery in front of them. Aside from the Ferris wheel, there aren't any key landscapes to scream that they're in London. All Louis can see are square buildings that range in height and a handful of lit windows. "So New York, eh?"

 

Harry's face splits into a grin, "Yeah. Between everywhere I travel, I find that I favor the New York City skyline. I can stare at it for hours."

 

"I think I would too if I ever visited," Louis admits. "Do you go to New York a lot?"

 

"I actually have an apartment there. London and LA, too."

 

Louis shakes his head to himself as he fights back a smile. He can only imagine the idea of having more than one house to look after. "And where are you from?"

 

"Here. Well, Cheshire to be a little more specific. I spend a lot of time in the states though so I'm kind of losing my accent."

 

"A tragedy, really," Louis giggles out. He cups the glass in both of his hands before taking another sip. "What are you doing here? Visiting family?"

 

Harry scratches his jaw, "a meeting, actually. Someone's interested in buying one of my companies so I have to sort that out tomorrow."

 

He scrunches up his nose, "that sounds like fun."

 

Louis takes another sip from his drink and swings himself from side to side. He hasn't even been out here for fifteen minutes and his fingertips were already going numb. "I think I should head back inside. I'm not used to extreme temperatures." He flashes a smile at Harry and tries to button his shirt up with his free hand.

 

"Let me help," Harry says as he steps forward and buttons the only two Louis had left undone. He then folds over the collar and straightens it out. Harry's hands freeze, his eyes fixed on his neck. "Is that a failed bonding mark?"

 

Louis' shoulders go rigid as he grips onto the drink in his hands.

 

A failed bonding mark is something that everyone tries to cover up, whether it's with makeup or clothing. Louis had received it months ago when Zayn came home from a friend's bachelor party and forced his pants off. The entire experience had left Louis clutching a pillow to his chest as he sobbed. It was the lowest moment of his life. He had realized just how easily an alpha could overpower him because he was an omega, and he's stuck with a physical reminder every day.

 

Louis steps away from Harry and unfolds his collar so it's standing up. He can fix it later.

 

"Harry?" a third voice calls out.

 

When Louis turns to see who the voice is coming from, his mouth drops open. A man is leaning out onto the balcony from the doorway and he looks almost identical to Harry. The only noticeable difference is that his hair is about an inch or two shorter. He's also dressed in a solid black suit.

 

Louis uses the opportunity and excuses himself to the man as he makes his way back inside. He downs the rest of his drink before he slams it down on a random surface. Louis hurries down the flight of stairs. He wants to be done for the night and to go home to bed.

 

"Zayn," Louis urges as he tugs at his elbow, "can we please go home?"

 

He chews on his lip and spares a glance towards the stairs to find that Harry hasn't followed after him. "Please." Louis can see Zayn give him an odd look for his unusual behavior, but he doesn't press for an explanation.

* * * * *

The lights flick on as Louis steps into the eleven hundred square foot apartment. It's equipped with two bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, and an open concept that combines the kitchen and living room. He inhales the mix of his and Zayn's scents and his shoulders drop. Louis turns his head to see the door click shut behind him, followed by Zayn walking straight into their shared master bedroom.

 

Louis trails after Zayn into the bedroom to see him kick off his shoes and shrug off his jacket.

 

From what Louis can tell, neither of them have trucked in any mud along the white carpet. He walks to the side of the bed that's facing the window and turns on the lamp placed on the side table. Louis bends over and rubs his hands along the soft fabric draped over the king-sized bed. It's the most comfortable bed he's ever slept on in his life and despite the struggles he has with the subject of sleep, he wakes up refreshed.

 

Once he starts to shrug off his own jacket, Zayn snaps at him to clean up. Louis doesn't say anything in return and picks up the items of clothing that have managed to be strewn about the room in little time. He puts the suit, socks, and undershirt into the hamper. He'll have to wash and iron everything the moment he wakes up unless Zayn is awake and wanting breakfast.

 

Louis toes off his own dress shoes before picking up both his and Zayn's. He walks into the walk-in closet that has custom made shelves and sets both of their shoes down in their designated places. Everything in their closet had its place. Louis stayed home almost every day so he had the time to organize Zayn's clothes by occasion and color. He didn't have as many items of clothing as Zayn, but he organized it in the same way.

 

The door to the bathroom shuts, so Louis starts to strip out of his own clothes. He makes sure to put everything away into his own hamper, which has a baby pink rim instead of being all black. Louis found it easier to do laundry when he separated their clothes beforehand. He wouldn't be left to try and sort everything before he folded everything before putting them away.

 

Louis stands in his black boxer briefs and digs through the drawers on his side of the closet. Zayn's clothes were to the left and he was to the right. He pulls out a plain t-shirt and tugs it on over his head, then wiggles on a pair of plaid pajama bottoms over the swell of his bum. Louis stands in front of the body length mirror and starts to touch up his hair. A part of him wanted to shampoo out the hair products that helped his hair to stand up in a quiff, but he was ready to crawl into bed and sleep through the weekend.

 

"Just brush your teeth then you can sleep your life away," he tells himself. The bathroom already feels too far away and it's an en suite.

 

Louis turns off the light to the walk-in closet and makes his way into the bathroom. He flinches at the change to more fluorescent lighting that helps him spot any blemishes with ease whenever he stares at his reflection. It made for great pictures though (even if he doesn't own a phone or camera of any kind).

 

Zayn is only standing in a pair of boxers as he brushes his teeth. He doesn't even acknowledge that he's walked into the room.

 

Louis plucks his pink toothbrush from the square toothbrush holder sat between each of their sinks. That was one feature that he favored in the apartment. He had his own sink and three drawers underneath that all belonged to him. Louis runs the bristles under cold water before he taps the excess water off. He squeezes a line of toothpaste onto it and starts to brush his teeth, the minty scent filling his nose.

 

"The co-owners of Styles Realty are coming over at noon, so I expect the place to be spotless and for you to serve them."

 

Zayn spits into the sink and chucks his toothbrush into the holder, then leaves back to their bedroom.

 

Of course, Zayn tells him this the night before. Louis shakes his head to himself as he continues to scrub his teeth clean of any plaque. It's a common theme for Zayn to demand something of him even if he was in the middle of juggling flaming knives. He still has yet to figure out if Zayn didn't care for his time and saw him as another servant or if it was a reasonable request to him.

 

Louis spits into the sink as he turns on the water, and tilts his head down to catch the water into his mouth. The taste of toothpaste was horrendous and he refused to swallow it. He swishes the water around before he spits for a second time. Louis sets his toothbrush next to Zayn's and rinses both of their sinks so there's no residue left. It's both a pet peeve and gross thing for Zayn to leave his spit in the sink.

 

From what Louis can see, there's nothing left for him to clean or tidy up. The sinks are spotless. The toothbrushes are in the holder. The hand towels are hung without a wrinkle. He backs away from the vanity and sits down on the edge of the bathtub. It's deep enough to cover his nipples when he takes bubble baths, which is an important feature. When Zayn is gone on business trips, he thinks he spends at least half of the time indulging in the water jets and assortment of bath bombs. 

 

Louis looks straight ahead and sees himself in the mirror. He brings his fingertips to ghost over the bags under his eyes as he frowns. He looks like an exhausted mess.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's just say... I'm surprised I managed to write this in time to update today.
> 
> This week was definitely stacked up against me, but I hope you enjoy what I wrote!

From what Louis can see, Zayn is sound asleep. He's lying on his back and his bare chest is exposed to the cool temperature that surrounds both of them. He always insisted on their bedroom being seventeen degrees. Their grey duvet is bunched up around Zayn's waist low enough to show off his tattoo of a solid black heart. His darker skin was littered in ink since before Louis had ever entered the picture, and as fascinating as they seemed at first he learned there was no deeper meaning to the majority of them.

 

Louis pulls the door shut.

 

An all-white L-shaped couch is the first thing Louis sees once he makes his way down the only hallway in his apartment. There are ten pillows of two different designs that lie around on top of the cushions and Louis figures that's where he should start his cleaning. Then again, he always starts with the couch. Since it takes up at least half of the living area, he figures that once he tidies it up the rest of the space doesn't look that bad.

 

Aside from the couch, papers and coasters scatter across the round coffee table. It's low enough that it doesn't even reach Louis' knees but he's still prone to stubbing his toe at least once a day. Off to his right, behind the couch, is a dining table that fits six people. Aside from two placemats that have been left out, the only other thing on the table is a bouquet of flowers that he's been desperately trying to keep alive. He has a black thumb, not a green one.

 

Louis walks up to the kitchen countertops and starts to search through Zayn's pre-made playlists. It's an Apple iPod touch that Zayn always leaves plugged into the speakers for whenever Louis wanted to play music as he cleaned. He doesn't have a phone or iPod of his own as everything had been confiscated once he moved in. Zayn had explained that Louis now belonged to him so family and friends were no longer a part of his life.

 

He isn't allowed to make calls to anyone, even Zayn.

 

The Fray starts to spill out of the speakers and Louis adjusts the volume so it's loud enough to sing along as he cleans, but not loud enough to wake up anyone.

 

Louis pulls open two sets of curtains that span the height of the apartment and can see the sun start to break through the other buildings. He's never been a fan of the mornings but he appreciates the sunrises that greet him every day. It has a way of getting him to take a step back from his situation and be grateful for what he does have.

 

Louis crouches down and grabs the window cleaner and a rag out from under the sink, then crosses over to the windows again. He uses his foot to pull out a chair and steps onto with ease. He sprays the cleaner along the top of the window and it starts to drip down in long streaks. "I wish you were a stranger I could disengage," Louis starts to hum out to himself as he wipes the rag over the window.

 

"The fuck you doin'?" a gruff voice calls out.

 

Louis' eyes widen at the random appearance and fumbles with the bottle of window cleaner before it escapes his hands. The chair then rocks out from underneath him and he crashes onto the hardwood flooring. His eyes are pinched shut as his head bounces off the floor and he can already taste the blood as it seeps from his bottom lip.

 

"What the fuck? You probably put a dent on the fucking floor! That costs money!"

 

When Louis peers up, he can see a half-naked Zayn standing on the other side of the room. The man doesn't even look like he's fully awake yet but he's still capable of snapping at him. Louis pushes himself up onto his knees then to his feet and checks both of his elbows for any marks. They're red, but the only thing bleeding is his lip. It wasn't even that big of a fall but he knows it's going to leave bruises as he bruises like a peach.

 

Louis picks up the chair and brushes off the seat, then pushes it back under the dining table. He looks over at Zayn, who's still standing in the same spot, and takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'll be more careful next time." Louis then bends over and picks up the fallen items, "how about you hit the gym before the meeting? It'll be good to work off any nerves you might be having."

 

He watches as Zayn seems to ponder it for a moment before he turns on his heel and heads back to their bedroom.

 

"Oof," Louis mumbles to himself and sets the items on the dining table. He can tend to the window later.

 

Louis makes his way over to the couch and picks up the throw blanket that's draped over the arm. It's an all grey luxury faux fur fabric and it's probably the softest thing he's ever felt. When he's home alone he'll walk around with the blanket wrapped around himself, almost like a cape. If he did it when Zayn was home, he'd get snapped at. "It's for the couch, not for you." That's what he always said.

 

A blanket is for people and not couches, but oh well.

 

Louis holds the blanket up high before he folds it the long way, then drapes it over the back of the couch. He then moves onto each of the throw pillows and wonders if he should downsize the amount for the guests. All he knew was what he was told last night so he's not sure what to expect. Louis decides on two sets of three for each end of the couch and the remaining four can bundle up in the middle.

 

The door to the apartment slams shut as Louis smoothes out the crease in the pillow. "I guess he took my advice."

* * * * *

It's close to noon as Louis hops around the bathroom in an attempt to pull his jeans over the curve of his ass. He's dressed down compared to the night before as he's only wearing a grey sweater and dark blue jeans. Louis brushes his fringe out of his face. "Cleaned the place, check. Showered and dressed, check. What else?" He drags his thumb along his chin as he tilts his head.

 

"Lunch," he snaps his fingers.

 

Louis makes his way out of the en suite and into the bedroom to find Zayn's sweat-soaked gym clothes. Of course, it's too hard to throw it into the laundry basket by their bed. He sighs and picks up the strewn about items. Are all alphas like this?

 

"The fucking TV too," he hisses to himself and uses the remote to shut off the TV. Zayn has the horrible habit of leaving the TV on for no apparent reason. It's never like he actually pays attention to whatever is playing, he simply turns it on and goes back to his work. Louis could understand if he wanted background noise, but it's not even that.

 

Louis props the laundry basket up on his hip and walks to his side of the bed, placing the remote down on the nightstand. He notices the book he meant to start reading the other day, The Girl On The Train. Louis pulls open the front cover to reveal a worn out leather bracelet tucked in to mark the first chapter of the book. Technically, there wasn't anything special about the bracelet as he could find it in a store or online but it's special to him.

 

The bracelet was on a stand, among a row of identical ones, at a theme park. Louis' mother had only gone into the shop to purchase a pair of flip flops for his sister (she managed to kick one of them off somewhere in the park). He was admiring the tiny square silver beads threaded along the middle when she offered to get it for him. Since he had been on his best behavior, Lottie was still in her terrible twos. It was the one piece of jewelry that he managed to hold onto.

 

The clasp on his bracelet broke months ago so Louis uses it as a bookmark. It's kind of a piece of home each time he sees it. Sometimes, he'll even start to tear up because of how much he misses his family.

 

Louis closes the book and places it on top of the dirty clothes. He can read while he does the laundry later.

 

Louis puts the laundry basket by their door before he pulls it shut behind him. Right now he needs to get a head start on lunch and he still has no idea what to make. He's thinking pasta, you can never go wrong with pasta. Louis walks down the hallway as he pushes his sleeves up to his elbows, "Zayn?"

 

Zayn has his body angled towards the large window as he talks on the phone. By the way, he's not demanding something, Louis can tell that he's talking to one of his girlfriends. Well, he suspects. He has no access to Zayn's phone or anything, but he's certain he has a couple of omegas on speed dial and an array of nudes.

 

Louis hadn't liked Zayn when they first met and he basically became his property. He had tried his best to be a good omega by cleaning the house, cooking meals, and helping him through his ruts. It's hard to love the man who cuts off all ties to your family, though. His logic was that they were no longer Louis' family, Zayn was.

 

"Work." Zayn tries to explain away after fumbling with the phone to hang up.

 

He might be an omega, but he's not stupid.

 

The cheating had never bothered Louis because he didn't care too much for Zayn. He still has no idea why Zayn hasn't shipped him off somewhere in exchange for someone else. He clearly has the money for it, along with a line of willing omegas.

 

"Cover that up." Zayn snaps as he walks around to sit down on the couch. He flicks the ashes off into the ashtray.

 

Louis brings his hand up to the mark on his neck. It's in such a visible spot for anyone to see and he hates it. He also hates the mark for what it is. He walks past the couch and into the kitchen to get at least the water boiling first. The last thing he wants to do is make Zayn and their guests wait to eat. He'll put the pot on the stove then covers up his mark with some foundation before they get here. Easy.

 

"I spoke to you, omega. You don't fucking walk away from me and ignore what I asked of you."

 

"I-" Louis starts then averts his eyes to the ground as he bows his head. Inhale. Exhale. "I'm sorry, Alpha. I just wanted to start on lunch so you wouldn't be kept waiting." 

 

It's not often that Louis' omega instincts kick in like this. It's an omega's nature to want to obey an alpha and do anything in their power to take care of them. His relationship with Zayn is confusing for the omega part of him, which he thinks is understandable when he looks at it from afar. Louis is always left to fight the omega in him, which is the route of the problem. If he was submissive like Zayn wanted, then things would be perfect.

 

Instead, he's an independent and outspoken person.

 

Louis doesn't like being talked down to and belittled because of his secondary gender. He hates it and anyone would.

 

"I think my guests should be shown some fucking respect, and you flaunting around that mark like a slut isn't how you do it. You're always ready for a knot up your ass, aren't you?" Zayn seethes and steps towards him. "You're a worthless omega. These men don't want a whore like you and you're lucky that I'm even letting you serve us."

 

As Louis opens his mouth to argue, there's a firm knock at the door.

 

Louis looks at Zayn with wide eyes and rushes across their apartment to the front door. He lets out a shaky breath as he tugs the hem of his sweater down before he smoothes it out. Zayn will literally kill him if this business meeting goes wrong.

 

They knock again.

 

He inhales and pulls open the door to greet them, only for Louis to stop dead in his tracks. It's Harry. He's dressed up equally as formal as he was last night. Harry seems to recognize him too because he's sharing the same stunned expression on his face.

 

Louis clears his throat and pulls the door open more as he steps out of the way, "Good afternoon, Mr. Malik is just in the living room."

 

There's an identical copy of Harry that follows him into the apartment. He's not dressed up quite as formally as his inked arms are on full display. From what Louis can tell, there's a tattoo of a half-naked mermaid of his left arm. What kind of tattoo idea is that? The man has a toothpick between his teeth and it bounces as he talks, voice equally as deep as Harry's, "thank you. What's your name?"

 

"Oh-" Louis' eyebrows pinch together as he shakes the man's hand, "Louis Tomlinson, sir."

 

The man exchanges a look with Harry.

 

Louis clasps his hands together and leads them down the hallway to the living room. Zayn reaches out and shakes hands with each of them before all three of them sit down on the couch.

 

"Can I get any of you something to drink? Tea? Water?"

 

"A water is fine, thank you." Harry says then looks over at his copy, "for Edward too, please."

 

Louis nods his head once and excuses himself to the kitchen. He rounds around the island counter and over to the fridge and snatches up two water bottles. He sets them down on the countertop before he grabs glasses from the cupboard by his head. It's always brandy for Zayn, Louis has stopped asking as he knows what to bring him.

 

With a glance towards all three men, Louis can see that they've settled in and are talking. He has no idea what the meeting entails, as Zayn doesn't talk about it with him. The extent of his knowledge is from papers that lay around the house. Louis fills the glasses halfway before he tries to balance his hold on the three drinks. His hands are small, okay?

 

"your drinks," Louis mumbles as he hands each of the drinks to them.

 

Louis scurries off to the kitchen again and rushes to fill a pot with water before he sets it down on the stove. His heart is racing and he's worried that they'll notice. If Zayn learns about Louis talking to Harry last night, he'll have his head. Louis isn't allowed to talk to other men without Zayn present. It's hypocritical. He points the finger at him when he's the one who isn't faithful.

 

The water starts to boil and Louis pours in a box of pasta noodles. Between cleaning and showering, he didn't have the time to make anything from scratch. He can only hope that the meeting itself will be important enough that they accept what is served. Harry didn't come across as the type who would get picky with those things, but he doesn't know. Hell, if anyone asks, they don't know each other.

 

As Louis tries to balance out his tasks for lunch, he strains his ears in hopes of catching onto the conversation. All three alphas come across confident as their voices never waver. There are even soft chuckles here and there. From the bits and pieces Louis does pick up on, he doesn't understand a lot. From what he's gathered though, Zayn wants to purchase one of their businesses.

 

It appears, as the air in the room grows tense, Zayn's offering price was the wrong move.

 

Edward's eyebrows furrow as he leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees, "that's comical. For as desperate as you are, I would expect you to value what my brother and I built up from the ground. That offer is outrageous and a god damn slap to the face."

 

Louis' eyes widen and his breath is caught in his throat.

 

Zayn pauses with his cigarette dangling between his fingers. He appears to let Edward's words sink in. Then his flicks the ashes off into the ashtray, before deciding to put it out altogether. "Counter offer."

 

"Our business is nearly triple what you've offered, Sir," Harry says.

 

"It shouldn't even be considered an offer at all."

 

A part of Louis feels naive to have assumed that Zayn was fair in terms of business. Sleazy. Given that the man does make millions and affords an apartment like this one, he does have to be doing something right though. Louis doesn't know how.

 

"You have to be willing to meet me halfway," Zayn says as he leans back in his seat.

 

Louis wishes one of the men would lean across the coffee table and smack the smug off his face. It's not a flattering look as he only comes across as arrogant rather than knowledgeable and confident.

 

The hair on the back of Louis' neck stands up.

 

A flicker of emotion seems to pass through Harry's green eyes and he adjusts the cuffs of his blazer. "I'll indulge in you for a minute, Zayn. We'll sell the company to you for the price you're asking. For twenty-five percent stake."

 

"Deal-" Zayn rushes out as he stands up with an outstretched hand.

 

"I wasn't finished," Harry continues. His eyes leave Zayn's for a split second to meet Louis' then back to the man in front of him. "For your offer, along with twenty-five percent stake, and-"

 

You could hear a pin drop.

 

"- we want Louis."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, thank you so much for all the sweet comments and kudos! They truly help motivate me to keep pushing on through this story. 
> 
> Second, I do apologize as this chapter is a tad bit shorter than the others.
> 
> Lastly, there won't be any updates for the month of May. I'm really really sorry. If you want to be updated on when I do post or any news in the future, feel free to follow me on tumblr! Same url!

Ding.

 

Louis lifts his head from the small window as all of business class lights up. He's sat in the last row with a curtain that separates him from the rest of the plane. If having the extra leg room and a wider seat wasn't a luxury in itself, the empty seat behind him definitely was. He had never been the best at sitting still so he occupied both seats with ease.

 

Across the aisle from Louis, Edward and Harry took up a row of their own. Edward had a small pillow folded in half and propped up against the window as he slept through most of the flight. Harry, on the other hand, took advantage of the writing surface that folded out from the armrest. It was a little larger than the size of a textbook, but he had adapted the best he could. Throughout the flight, you could hear the shuffling of papers and uncapping of a pen.

 

Louis found the sound to be calming for him, oddly.

 

The entire flight from London to New York had been eight hours long, but Louis couldn't find a way to sleep. He had managed to snag one of the pillows Harry had been handed, along with the blanket, but he had no luck. Instead, he tossed and turned between staring out the small window as he watched night seep through the clouds.

 

A grumble comes from Edward, but Louis doesn't quite catch what's said.

 

Edward pushes up the shade that had been pulled down the moment he sat in his seat. It appears that he examines whatever is out his window before he's unbuckling himself.

 

It had been obvious from the start that Edward and Harry traveled a lot. They knew where to drop off their luggage, how to go through security, and knew what exactly to bring for a carry-on. The two men had worked it down like a mathematical formula. Plus, with how quick Edward fell asleep once their plane was in the air, you could tell he was either a man that could fall asleep anywhere or had been forced to learn how to sleep on a plane.

 

Each of the twins rise from their seats before they both step out into the aisle as it crowds. Harry reaches up into the open compartment above his head and hands a miniature all black suitcase to his brother. Then he grabs a backpack that's similar in appearance.

 

Louis is motioned to step out in front of Harry and into the aisle, then he starts to follow after Edward. The aisle is barely wide enough for anyone, yet everyone's in a hurry to get off the plane.

 

"Where are we going?" Louis eventually asks.

 

The three of them appear the be walking towards a lower floor in the airport. "Baggage claim," Edward explains.

 

Louis nods his head and continues to walk alongside both of the alphas. They enter into a large room that's filled with five different sets of conveyor belts. One in the middle appears to have suitcases sliding down directly from the ceiling. How do you know which one is for your flight? If it weren't for Edward or Harry, he feels like he'd get lost.

 

To Louis' left is an oval-shaped conveyor belt that disappears into the wall at one end. In the center of it is a red light that starts to flash as it lets out a loud and obnoxious buzzing. He glances around to see both Edward and Harry watching it like a hawk as a variety of luggage start to flow out onto the device. It's safe to assume this is where their luggage will be arriving, then.

 

Louis looks away from the different bags and down at the book he's had clutched to his chest. It's the one he had planned to read while he did laundry, but his day had taken a hard one-eighty. He lets out a soft sigh and flips through the pages to keep himself busy. The book itself had been an easy read for him as he finished it in a few hours. He loved it a lot.

 

When Louis had finished the book not even halfway into the ten-hour flight, Harry had taken a short break from paperwork to make small talk. It was refreshing. Though, Louis really had no idea what to say. He had watched Harry go back to his work after a few questions about the book Louis had just read, and Louis went to looking out the window.

 

He had all the time in the world to sit with his thoughts.

 

Louis' head shoots up as someone nudges him. His gaze is met with Harry's as he lets out a timid smile.

 

"Let's get you home to bed, yeah?" Harry suggests.

 

"Let's," Louis murmurs with a nod of his head. He then lets the book fall shut and hugs it to his chest again. The only belongings Louis had were the clothes on his back, the book, and the bracelet he used as a bookmark. The clothes and book were a generous offer since Zayn had been the one to purchase them.

 

Louis shakes the thought away and trails after Harry. He has a backpack swung over his right shoulder as he wheels his suitcase behind him. Edward looks identical to Harry's left.

* * * * *

It's almost an hour later when Louis steps foot into a new apartment that he's supposed to call home. If he thought the traffic in London was bad, New York had shown him a whole new level. He believes they spent more time not moving than when the car did move.

 

The sound of a switch flicks and the entire room lights up into view.

 

In front of Louis is what he assumes to be the living room. There are two couches that are a shade of light brown with cream colored throw pillows scattered along the cushions. A matching area rug is placed underneath a glass circular coffee table that has a small succulent in the middle. Despite the decorative pillows and plant, the rest of the room is bare. There aren't any items hung up on the walls or picture frames placed on the end table.

 

Louis is pulled from is quick observations when Edward pushes past him and Harry with every piece of luggage being dragged with him.

 

To Louis' right is Harry, and they exchange a look.

 

Harry is dressed down compared to earlier as he's wearing a loose pair of sweatpants and his curls poke out from underneath a green beanie. Overall, he looks soft and in need of cuddles like a teddy bear. Louis is still constricted to his skinny jeans though, so maybe that's why he's so ready to trade clothes with the alpha. An eight-hour flight in skinny jeans is far from comfort. Then again, Edward was wearing a buttoned shirt and slacks so maybe he shouldn't complain.

 

Edward appears in the archway that separates the foyer from the living room and claps his hands together. He doesn't have anything with him so Louis assumes the man had disappeared to drop off their belongings in their bedroom. "A quick tour then we can all check in for the night."

 

Louis nods his head.

 

If each of the twins' personalities hadn't been obvious from Louis' first encounter with them, then the flight to New York definitely was. Edward wasn't quite as open as Harry was. He always had his arms crossed over his chest and a deep line etched into his forehead like he was always in deep thought. When Edward spoke, it was nothing more than the bare minimum. He didn't beat around the bush or add any extra words. He was always straight to the point.

 

Harry, on the other hand, was always offering Louis a dimpled smile. He'd always find a way to touch Louis even if it meant resting a finger on his shoulder or patting his knee before getting up from his seat. Not to mention, Harry tended to draw on whenever he spoke.

 

Between Edward's bluntness and Harry's need to ramble, Louis still hasn't figured out why they bought him from Zayn. Neither of them has mentioned it to him and Louis isn't sure if they even discussed it with one another.

 

Louis trails after Edward with Harry by his side and is shown around the apartment.

 

"There's two bedrooms and three bathrooms." Edward states.

 

Harry piped in, "you'll have your own bedroom and bathroom."

 

His own bedroom and bathroom, that's a first. Louis finds himself nodding and continues to follow after each of the twins as he's lead through the living room and into the kitchen. The cupboards and cabinets all appear to be custom built in dark wood. There's even a fridge and double stove that are stainless steel. He looks forward to getting to cook with those, no doubt.

 

A few feet away from the island counter that fits three people is a dining table made for eight. The table itself appears to be made from marble and the chairs are all white. It's huge. Louis is left to wonder if they host a lot of dinners since only the two of them actually live here.

 

Louis follows the twins down a hallway that stems off from the kitchen and there's three doors, two on the left and one on the right.

 

The door on the right reveals the twins' bedroom. Which, as is sounds, means that they share it. There's a singular king sized bed in the middle of the room with a bed frame in a similar dark wood as the kitchen. Unless there's a cot or one of them sleep in the two chairs by the window, they sleep in the bed together. Louis tries his best not to give it a second thought or to judge. It's their business.

 

Then, the room across from the twins' is Louis' own bedroom. It has to be at least half the size but it's still bigger than the room he had at Zayn's. The colors are more feminine as the curtains and bedding are white with light grey floral patterns. Along the same wall as the door is a reflective dresser with gold trim and it's unlike anything he's seen before. It's beautiful.

 

Louis is lead into another room that stems off from his bedroom and it's his own en suite. "Whoa..."

 

The bathroom is equipped with a shower, a bathtub, two sinks, a toilet, and a closet. If Louis didn't know the room stemmed off from his own bedroom, there's no doubt he would've thought it belonged to the master bedroom. Hell, if this is his then what does their bathroom look like?

 

Edward flicks off the bathroom light and motions Louis to follow after him before leaving out to the hallway. "This is the third bathroom. Only guests tend to use it." He explains with a shrug.

 

Louis nods his head and peers inside. It's simple as there are only the necessities of a toilet, sink, and shower combo with a tub. He has his own bathtub with built-in jets so it's obvious which bathroom he'll be using.

 

"We want you to feel at home. You're free to help yourself to anything in the kitchen and if you need anything, don't be afraid to ask," Harry says with a small smile.

 

Louis finds himself nodding along to Harry's words as he spares a quick glance around at his surroundings. He's home now.

 

Then he drops his book.

 

Before Louis can bend down to retrieve it, Harry has already grabbed it and is holding it out to him. "Are you okay, Lou?"

 

Louis nods his head as he takes the book back along with the bracelet. He bites down on his bottom lip and looks down at it before he starts to rub the beads between his fingers. "Am I allowed to make phone calls?" He asks, his voice soft as his eyes stay to the light hardwood under his feet.

 

One of the twins' clear their throat and he looks up. They're exchanging an uneasy look before they both look at him. "Of course you are. But um- um who is it you're wanting to call?" Harry asks, his eyebrows pinched together.

 

Louis doesn't know his family's number. There's no guarantee they even kept the same number.

 

"No one. I was just wondering, I guess." He eventually explains as he reaches up and starts to toy with the ends of his hair.

 

Edward and Harry exchange another look before Harry speaks up again, "we're not going to isolate you. You're free to talk to whoever you like. I'll even get you your own phone tomorrow when I go to run errands."

 

He nods.

 

"It's important that we're posted on how you're doing," Edward adds. "Your safety is our priority."

 

Louis nods again as he continues to tug at the ends of his hair a bit. The three of them have yet to discuss what was expected of him since he was an omega. They wanted him to be safe though, so that had to count for something.

 

"I um," Louis runs his fingers through his hair, "I think I'm going to go get some sleep. Today's been a lot."

 

The twins both come across sympathetic as they nod.

 

Louis flashes them a slight smile before he turns on his heels and enters his new bedroom. He shuts the door behind himself.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I decided to post a week earlier than I had originally planned! 
> 
> Over the course of a month, I had a lot of time to think and formulate a proper plan on where to go from here. I obviously ended up changing the title and summary just a smidge, I hope you all agree with it. There are also a few chapters shaved off that really would be filler chapters, so this way each chapter is properly going to move the fic forward. Unfortunately, I'm not back for good in regards to this fic. The next chapter won't be posted until the first week of August, please please forgive me for that. I pinky promise that this fic will be completed by the end of the year and the goal at the moment is the last week of November. So truly you all won't be waiting incredibly long which I think is fair.
> 
> I will be posting the first chapter of a new fic next Friday. It really only needs some editing and touchups, hence why I've decided to post those eight chapters throughout the next two months. Deaf!Harry with an adorable service dog and a pining Louis. What more could you possibly ask for? 
> 
> Thank you again for all of you being so patient with me. I'm still new to all of this and I'm trying my best to find the proper footing. xx
> 
> Thank you

Louis glances away from the large windows that are facing the bustling strangers. He then makes his way over to a small stand of different phone cases that are on display and reaches out to touch at one encased in a box. It's overall a mint green color with silver dots scattered across. He's always had a soft spot for the mint green color as it's just pretty to him. He then moves his hand over to the phone case beside the first one and it's a solid pale pink shade. It looks like it should come with a bow to complete its look.

Edward and Harry had dragged him from his room and out to the mall for a bit of shopping. To them, it was essential that he had a phone of his own so the three of them could communicate while the twins were away at work, whether it was a ten-minute drive from their apartment or on a business trip to Japan. From what he's been told, the twins go on business trips at least once every other month. They haven't discussed if Louis would be going with them or not though.

For the past week, Louis had chosen to stay cooped up in his new bedroom. It wasn't anything against the two men themselves, he hopes they know that but more or less because he's been both sad and confused. He believes a part of it has to do with him being an omega, as omegas tend to nest and hate the mixture of new scents and surroundings. He had struggled with that back when he moved in with Zayn.

Plus, even though Louis got along with Harry easily, he still couldn't let himself blindly trust both of them.

Louis looks up from the new phone case he was observing, an ombre of dark to light purple, and flashes a polite smile as Harry walks over to him.

His voice comes out almost in a whisper as his teeth bite back a grin, "It's a good idea to pick one out since it'll protect your phone if you drop it or anything. I mean we're obviously getting insurance on it but it'll be a nice buffer."

Louis finds himself nodding along to Harry's words before he turns his attention back to the display. There's easily fifty phone cases right there in front of him, and there's more on the other side. He scans over the few that he's been looking over more than once before deciding on the solid pale pink case. He hugs the packaged item to his chest and turns to face Harry, murmuring, "I like this one."

Harry reaches out to tuck Louis' hair behind his ear but on instinct, he flinches.

"Sorry," Louis murmurs again as he averts his eyes down at the grey carpet. He immediately follows after Harry to the desk where Edward has been going through the insurance plan among other things.

Harry takes the outstretched phone case from Louis and sets it down on the counter, "please ring this up with everything else."

Louis keeps his head down and starts to toy with the hem of his sweater. Harry's sweater. It's knitted and a lilac shade that happens to be not only his favorite but Harry's too. This is the first time that Louis has properly left the apartment so he's been alternating between the only outfit he came to New York wearing and whatever the twins have offered him. He's appreciated it a lot. Especially since Harry makes sure to scent them for him as it helps to calm down his omega instincts.

"It um-" Louis starts then clears his throat, "It means a lot that you're going through this trouble for me. I'll do whatever you think is best for me to pay it off. The phone. To pay off the phone."

"It's no trouble at all Lou," Harry frowns.

Edward slides his credit card into his leather wallet before making a noise of affirmation. "This helps to keep our alphas satisfied. It's important for us to be able to get ahold of you when we need to, and the same goes for you."

Louis nods his head again, then his eyes are drawn towards the new potential customers that walk in. It's a busty woman with greying hairs at the roots, and she has a small boy's hand clutched into her own. He doesn't appear any older than seven or eight. The boy is practically buzzing as he's tugging on her hand as he jumps around and exclaims about something Louis can't fit into context.

The pair reminds him a lot of what his relationship was like with his mother.

Before Louis can dwell on his thoughts, his attention is directed at the two alphas as they address him.

"I'm putting in both mine and Edward's number so you'll be able to contact us," Harry explains as his thumbs fly across the brand new iPhone 6S (he claimed it was the best iPhone despite the newer editions). "I also put about fifty dollars onto your Music app so you can purchase some songs."

Harry pauses before looking over Louis' face, "have you had an iPhone before?"

He shakes his head.

Harry turns the screen of the phone towards Louis and drags his finger across it, revealing the homepage, "that's how you unlock it unless you decide to set a passcode or anything."

Louis brings his hand up to his mouth as he watches Harry continue to show him the basics. It's just enough for him to understand how to send a text and go to the app store.

"That reminds me," Harry snaps his fingers, "we need to go get you some clothes of your own."

Edward rolls his eyes and groans.

Harry jerks a thumb over his shoulder at Edward, "don't mind him. He just really hates clothes shopping."

He furrows his eyebrows. That was a peculiar thing to hate.

"Let's go," Harry ushers as he rests a hand on the curve of Louis' back and the three of them walk out of the Verizon shop.

Louis can secretly admit that he's both excited and nervous to find some clothes of his own. The last time he had picked out any of his own clothes of choice was when he packed up his belongings and moved in with Zayn. Once he had settled in, Zayn had chucked a rubbish bag filled with shirts, socks, boxer briefs, and pants at him. Louis was then left to sort through it all and try his best to look up to the alpha's standards.

It would be a lie if Louis said that his year with Zayn didn't cause him to develop new insecurities. He had started to focus on certain areas such as his stomach and thighs, but it hadn't been easy to remove with excess exercise or a different diet. He's always just had a naturally curvy body. Hell, he has an arse that women go through plastic surgery to achieve.

"I'm thinking we could start off with Urban Outfitters then go on from there," Harry states.

Edward lifts his head up from his phone, "I highly doubt that Louis is into the same hipster shit you're into."

It's safe to say that Harry doesn't care as he flips his brother off then leads them both into the store anyways. The store is at least twice the size of the Verizon one and an angled brown tile stretches out under his feet throughout the entire store. "Men's clothes are here off to the right," Harry says as he starts to walk off to a display of shirts then pauses and turns to Louis, "not that I'm trying to say you can only wear men's clothes. I'm perfectly accepting if you prefer women's attire. I'm sure you look great in a dress-"

Louis raises a hand to silence Harry from his babbling, "I wear men's clothes."

Edward snickers from behind Louis, but Harry visibly relaxes as his shoulders drop. He's then shown the nearest shirt in Harry's reach and it has vertical stripes of obnoxious colors over the entire thing. If he didn't know any better, he's sure he has seen it in a show from the eighties or nineties. Louis scrunches up his nose and shakes his head. Harry searches through another rack of shirts before showing off a white button down with palm trees and pink flowers printed along it.

"No," Edward cuts in, "we're shopping for him, not you."

It takes both Louis and the twin alphas to get a gist of what Louis does like, and Harry wastes no time in piling the items of clothing into his arms. He's barely able to peer over the pile in his arms when it's decided that Louis needs to try them on properly. He doesn't think he's a size large or small, but it's been a while so he doesn't know for sure.

Louis trails after Harry to the back of the store and is lead up to a stall that's meant to be a dressing room. From the exposed pipes along the ceiling and raw wooden walls of the miniature room, he'd think the store hadn't completed their renovations. Either way, he steps into the stall with his pile of clothes and slides the lock in place to prevent anyone from entering.

Finding a way to sort through the different items of clothing is a difficult task for Louis, as there are only three hooks drilled into the wall and a triangular seat in the corner. He barely has enough room to stretch out his arms without touching the walls. Louis strips himself down to his black boxer briefs and catches his reflection in the mirror. He sucks his bottom lip in between his teeth and turns to the side to see how much his stomach sticks out. He frowns.

"Hurry up! I want to see how you look!" Harry calls out from the other side of the door.

Louis tears his eyes away from his reflection and tugs on the first shirt he grabs. It's a baby pink t-shirt with the word change printed across the chest. It might have been a random grab, but he likes it. He then grabs one of the three pairs of pants and slides his legs into each hole before pulling it up over the swell of his ass. The jeans aren't as unique as they're classic blue skinny jeans. He thinks it goes with the shirt perfectly.

Louis takes a deep breath before unlocking the door and pushing it open. Across the small hallway is a wooden bench that both Harry and Edward are sat on, their phones are even tucked away as their full attention is on him.

Harry rolls his bottom lip between his fingers as he looks Louis over, then his dimples come into full display when he grins. "Stunning. I wish my clothes looked just half as good as these look on you."

He can already feel the heat rush to his cheeks.

"I'm actually going to have to second that," Edward says. "The jeans, in particular, hug your figure perfectly."

"Thank you," Louis squeaks out as he ducks his head down and hurries back into the changing room. He locks the door before resting his back against it.

The one thing Louis has learned in the week that he's been living with the twin alphas is that they're different from Zayn in almost every way. He isn't expected to cook them meals (even though he does), do their laundry (even though he does), or do sexual things with them (he doesn't). Edward and Harry are different. If anything, he's treated respectfully as if he's a guest.

Louis bites down on his bottom lip and picks up one of the few items Edward picked out. It's a t-shirt with horizontal blue stripes and it reminds him a lot of the shirts he used to wear in his early teens. He slides off the shirt he's currently wearing before tugging on the striped shirt on over his head, then pulls down the hem so the shirt lies flat. His nimble fingers then unlock the door before stepping out to show the twins, only for Harry to be gone.

Insecurity floods Louis' system immediately and he's too frozen to rush back into the changing room. It's not that he has an issue with Edward as a person, but he's not as open or reassuring as Harry. It's harder to bond with someone who doesn't do a lot of talking or doesn't go out of their way to spend time together. Plus, he still has no idea what Edward truly thinks of him.

"Harry went to go pick out more clothes for you," Edward says as he chews on the toothpick between his lips, "I like that you're wearing something I actually picked out. I think stripes suit you."

Louis looks down at himself before giving a small nod, "I used to wear striped shirts all the time."

Edward's lips twitch upwards, "yeah? I guess I have a good intuition when it comes to you." He then slides over along the bench before patting the space beside him for Louis to sit. He does. "Tell me about Zayn."

Louis does a double take, "what?"

"Zayn. Tell me what your relationship was like with him."

"Um," he starts as he looks down at his hands that are folded in his lap, "he made sure I always had clothes to wear."

Edward eyes him as a minute of silence passes between the two of them. "That's all you have to say?"

He shrugs his shoulders.

"Look, I could tell that he didn't treat you right. The way he treated you during our lunch meeting was wrong, and I just want to let you know that Harry and I would never behave like that. Your secondary gender doesn't define how you should be treated."

Louis starts to nibble on the tip of his thumb as he keeps his eyes down.

"Harry and I both wanted to get you out of that horrible situation. That's why we made an offer for you," Edward adds. "I know that we can come off a bit intimidating, especially me, but we're not bad guys. Neither of us expects any favors from you."

Louis flings himself onto Edward and he wraps his arms around his neck, nuzzling his face into the man's chest.

"Shh, don't whine like that. You're going to draw attention to us."

It's like the weight has lifted off of Louis' shoulders. He isn't some burden or a prize to be won, he's just an abused alpha that was taken in by kind strangers. It's not only Harry that wanted to save him but Edward too.

Louis' and Edward's heads snap up as Harry comes rushing into the back room with another armful of clothes. "Are you two okay?"  
\+ + + + +  
Louis swings his feet back and forth as he claps his hands together in excitement, "food!"

Harry let's out a chuckle as he nods his head, and hands a hot pretzel to him along with a tiny cup filled with a cheese dip. "I swear we have food at home, Lou. I do feed you."

"You don't feed me fresh hot pretzels," Louis counters.

Harry snaps his fingers, "you got me there."

Louis rips off a small piece of his pretzel before he dips it into the cheese, then plops it into his mouth. He can't help it as his eyes roll into the back of his head and he lets out a moan.

"You're obscene."

He sticks his tongue out at Edward after he swallows.

Louis pulls another piece from his pretzel and dips it into the cheese, sparing a glance around at his surroundings. The three of them had finally taken a break from their shopping spree to eat lunch in the food court. They didn't have too many food options to choose from as it had the main food chains such as McDonalds and Pizza Hut, but Louis had not only a pretzel but a frozen lemonade as well so he's happy.

"Hey-" he pouts as Harry rips off a small piece from Louis' pretzel for himself. Louis then brings a hand up to cover his mouth as he finishes chewing the food left in his mouth. He can't help it as he tries to fight the smile that's trying to spread across his face. Can you blame him? This broad alpha sitting across from him just tried to snatch some food away from him even though he's fully capable of purchasing his own.

Louis starts to chew on his bottom lip as he takes note that the twins are caught up in their own conversation. He then reaches over and steals Harry's cup of regular lemonade before bringing it to his lips, taking a big sip.

Harry pouts.

Then Edward reaches across the table and takes a sip of Louis' frozen lemonade.

He bursts out into a fit of giggles.

Louis' personal conversation with Edward had only happened about an hour ago, but the atmosphere between everyone had quickly become more relaxed. It's almost like they've suddenly become more affectionate subconsciously. Harry had kept his hand on Louis' lower back the entire walk to the food court and Edward had touched up Louis' fringe. He loved it.

The interactions between the three of them over the past hour made Louis wonder what it would be like if they were his alphas. He imagines that the twins would be the possessive type. Would they refuse to let any other alphas get within arms reach of him? Louis could see Harry being the type to leave marks all over his exposed skin so everyone knew Louis belonged to him. He thinks Edward would be the one to make sure he fucked Louis hard enough that he walked funny for everyone to see.

"You okay Lou? You zoned out there for a moment." Harry says before he sucks on his straw. He's only holding onto the lid of his cup by his thumb, index, and middle finger. There are silver rings on each one.

Louis nods his head and stuffs the last piece of his pretzel into his mouth. If he's too busy chewing then maybe they won't ask him to share his thoughts. His horribly inappropriate thoughts. These alphas didn't buy him because they wanted to bond him.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Harry eventually asks, his eyebrows raised and the wrinkles in his forehead prominent.

Edward looks like he's ready to make a comment about the common phrase before he decides to settle back into his seat. "I'm curious too."

There's a smirk on the alpha's face and Louis can already feel himself blushing. His facial expressions have always been a dead giveaway and he hates it at this moment. He reaches over and snags a nacho from Edward's basket of them.

Edward and Harry both let out a noise in surprise.

"You alphas don't scare me."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much has happened since the last update, like oh my gosh... 
> 
> I've basically become a father of four overnight! Basically, I'm friends with a woman at the office I would volunteer at and she's taken in her four grandchildren from her druggie of a daughter. The woman has a job so obviously she needs a babysitter and voila, it's me! You would not believe the amount of work there is when caring for traumatized children (three of which are under the age of three). Outside of my typical work hours I'm putting in even more so the poor woman doesn't go insane. I already am so what do I have to lose, right? 
> 
> On another note... I actually got a few chapters prewritten. This entire month is covered with weekly updates just so you know! Given my new situation though, I have no idea how long I'll be able to keep up. I've got half of a chapter written this week when usually I write two. I'm also involved in two fic exchanges (never said I was smart). Please, please, please don't be mad at me for the mini break. My goal is for weekly updates through to the end of September, a break for October to do something festive, and have this story finished by the end of November. I refuse to go into the new year with unfinished works. So.. pray for me. 
> 
> That's all! Read! Enjoy! Excuse the tiny fact that they're FIRST drafts!

Louis flicks his eyes up to the clock that hangs above the flat screen TV, then buries his face back into Harry’s chest. A chuckle rumbled and vibrated through him as Harry continues to smooth his large hand over his back. “Watching the clock like a hawk isn’t going to change anything. It’s only stressing you out more and more by the second.”

 

Like Louis doesn’t know that. He ignores Harry’s statement and keeps his face hidden, his fingers starting to pick at the thin fabric of Harry’s shirt. Harry had gotten dressed to pick up his friends originally, as Edward doesn’t like to drive, but Louis couldn’t stop whining and biting the alpha’s clothing. As much as he wishes otherwise, his life is still very much up in the air and he’s still not feeling quite at home. It’s only been a few weeks since his life has been uprooted. 

 

Each of the twins have reassured Louis a number of times that their friends wouldn’t hurt him. They had tried to explain that Liam is an alpha who’s been friends with them since they were all in university together. Louis was also told how Liam had met and bonded with his omega, Niall, around the time they graduated. The two of them are an unlikely pair as Liam is more serious and a rule follower, while Niall likes to do his own thing and find joy in just about everything. They sound like a nice couple, but it’s something he can’t be certain of until he’s properly met them. He doesn’t want to meet them.

 

Louis’ eyes land on the clock once again and he lets out a high pitched whine. 

 

A hand finds its way to Louis’ hair and starts to comb through it, “Trust me when I say that you’ll be okay. Niall will probably adopt you as his own omega and I’ll never be able to touch you again without his permission. And Liam doesn’t have a single bad bone in his body.” Harry rests his head on top of Louis’. “I put this movie on thinking that it would help distract you.”

 

“I know,” Louis murmurs as he rubs his nose against the fabric of Harry’s shirt. Harry had persuaded him into sitting down and watching a movie in hopes of distracting him from watching the clock. Obviously, it hasn’t been working. 

 

Louis can feel tears as they start to well up in the corners of his eyes. Why does he feel so strongly that they’re going to arrive and be horrible to him? It’s like no matter how many times Edward and Harry reassure him, he still has this fear that they’ll either be mean to him when no one is around or say awful things towards him and neither of the twins will care. He is only some random omega that they’ve taken in. 

 

Before Louis can try to go back to fighting off his tears, he’s a blubbering mess. It’s like a damn has broken and there’s no use trying to stop it. His cheeks become damp and he’s finding it hard to catch his breath all of a sudden. It’s almost like his only source for air is through a thin straw. 

 

“Come,” Harry ushers as he’s already lifting Louis’ small frame off the couch and into his muscular arms. Louis is then being carried out of the living room and down the hallway towards his own bedroom. 

 

“P-Please don’t lock me away,” he pleads as he starts to squirm, “I’ll- I’ll stop crying! I promise!” 

 

The two of them come to a halt. Harry’s green eyes stare down into Louis’ blue ones and his eyebrows knit together, “What?” 

 

Louis bites down harshly onto his lip as he averts his eyes and continues to squirm. 

 

“I would never do that to you,” Harry says in disbelief. He grabs hold of Louis’ arms and forces him to meet his eyes. “Omega. I am here to protect you. My brother is here to protect you. That is what alphas are made to do, and I know a lot of them have seemingly forgotten that, but it’s true. My brother, myself, and our friends would never disrespect an omega the way your alpha had. Never.” 

 

Louis is sat down on the countertop in his own bathroom and he bows his head as he picks at his fingertips. Is he really this damaged to believe that Harry would lock him up due to his emotions? He raises his sleeved arm to his face before it’s pushed away and replaced by Harry’s tongue, licking away his tear stained cheeks. 

 

“May I scent you, Omega?” 

 

He nods his head as his eyes have already fallen shut. 

 

An aroma of sandalwood and mint wraps itself around Louis and he feels his body go limp onto Harry’s chest. His face finds its way into the alpha’s neck and he breathes in the heavenly scent. The real thing is so much better than a t-shirt or pair of socks found off the floor. 

 

Harry’s long fingers card through Louis’ hair. “You are safe in this home, Omega. Edward and I have vowed to ourselves to never let any harm come to you. For now, and until the foreseeable future, you are our Omega and we will treat you as such.”

 

There’s the click of a door followed by a mixture of voices in conversation. 

 

Louis buries his face further into Harry’s neck as a high-pitched whine escapes his throat. 

 

They’re here. 

 

“I’ve got you. We’ve got this,” Harry murmurs as he takes Louis’ hands into his own and helps him to his feet. 

 

Louis finds himself nodding as he wraps his arms around Harry’s arm and follows him out of the bathroom. It’s only a short walk down the hallway and around the corner leading them to where Edward is standing with their guests. The alpha, Liam, is almost as tall as the twins but he makes up for it in muscle mass. It almost feels like a contradiction from how gentle and warm his brown eyes are. Niall is nearly the same height as himself and his hair has obviously been bleached. 

 

“Nice to see you again, man,” Harry says as he reaches forward and shakes hands with Liam. 

 

“It’s been too long. I’ve been telling Niall how you guys need to just live down in your LA home so you’re closer.” 

 

“Ed and I have been thinking about it,” Harry rests his hands on each of Louis’ shoulders to keep him from running to hide behind him. “This is Louis. He’s a bit shy and he’s been a bit nervous about you two coming up to visit. I told him that you guys don’t mean him any harm.” 

 

Louis twists his lips as he chews down on them and fidgets from one foot to the other. He really doesn’t like how everyone's eyes are on him. This is the last thing he wanted. 

 

“You’re adorable,” Niall compliments with a thick Irish accent and bounds over to him to pinch his cheeks. He turns to Liam with a pout, “Can we have him?”

 

Liam is quick to roll his eyes, “He’s Ed and Harry’s omega, Niall.” 

 

He’s not their omega. Louis crosses his arms over his chest before turning to hide his face into Harry’s shirt. He’s not anyone’s omega. 

 

A large hand smoothes over Louis’ hair and he immediately pushes a few strands out of his face. 

 

“How about you and Niall go take some time to get to know each other while Ed and I catch up with Liam?” Harry suggests softly into his hair before pressing a kiss to his head. “You can go show him to their room and help him unpack.” 

 

Louis nods as he inhales Harry’s scent one last time before he pulls away. 

 

Louis hesitates to let go of Harry’s shirt as he crosses over to the door and picks up one of the two suitcases. He can only assume that it belongs to Liam since it would make more sense for Niall to already be holding his own. He picks up the black suitcase and motions Niall to follow after him as he walks back to the room that he’s been sleeping in ever since he arrived here himself.

 

“Where do you sleep?” Niall asks as he hoists the suitcase up onto the bed and unzips it. “I can’t imagine them forcing you to sleep on the couch.” 

 

He shakes his head, “I slept in here.” 

 

“Where will you be sleeping tonight then?” 

 

“With Ed and Harry,” he murmurs as he starts to chew on the tip of his thumb. 

 

Niall quirks an eyebrow as his lip twitches upward into a smirk, “They like you.”

 

Louis finds himself shaking his head before he can even think of a proper response. The Twins have merely taken him in and don’t have any other place for him to sleep, so their bed is the only thing that makes sense. 

 

Niall simply shakes his head as he starts to put away his shirts into the dresser. 

 

It was yesterday when Edward urged him to move his own clothes into the closet. They were more casual clothing so that was why they hadn’t been packed away into the closet originally. 

 

“No one’s told me why or how Ed and Harry ended up with an omega. With you.” 

 

Louis bites down harder onto his bottom lip as he shrugs his shoulders. There’s nothing to tell. “They were just helping me out.” His words don’t even sound that convincing to himself. It’s true though. Harry had seen his mark on his neck and obviously told Edward so they took him in. Simple. 

 

He reaches a hand up to the covered up mark subconsciously.  

 

“You bonded without telling me?” Niall screeches as he rips Louis’ hand away. 

 

The air around them instantly becomes stiff. 

 

Niall’s lips are parted in a gasp as he lets his hand fall from the mark. “Who did this to you? Wait no- it’s not my place. I um,” he clears his throat, “I’m here for you if you ever need to talk. Alphas can try their best to understand, but it’s nothing compared to another omega. I mean it…” 

 

The door to the bedroom is slammed open to reveal three alphas, Edward and Harry rushing to Louis’ side. 

 

“What is going on?” Liam asks as he eyes the three of them. “Niall? What happened?” 

 

“It’s nothing, alpha-”

 

Louis shakes his head, “He thought I was bonded and got excited.”

 

“That doesn’t explain why Ed and Harry came running to you like you were dying.” 

 

“It’s fine,” he waves off the two alphas and tilts his head in a way to show Liam his mark from a failed bonding. “They probably just got scared that you guys would see my mark.” 

 

Liam nods as he eyes each of the twins before looking back at Louis. “They appear to be quite protective over you.”

 

He shrugs his shoulders. 

 

“We are,” Edward murmurs as he wraps an arm around him, “I think it’s time that we all check in for the night. I know you and Niall had a long flight.” 

 

“Of course, thank you.” 

 

Louis waves goodbye to Liam and Niall as he’s ushered out of the room and into the twins’ bedroom. The room feels even more daunting than usual as he finds himself standing while Edward excuses himself to change in the bathroom and Harry crawls into bed. Cuddling is different than sleeping with two attractive alphas in their bed. 

 

Harry motions for Louis to crawl in beside him and he does after a moment of hesitation. He’s shuffled over the alpha’s lap and moved to lie in the middle so he’ll be sandwiched between the two while they sleep. “Edward and I will sleep better knowing that you can’t disappear without one of us waking up.” 

 

“That’s unnecessary,” he murmurs. It is. 

 

“I don’t care,” Harry teases and rests his head on Louis’ shoulder, “I was thinking that we could all go swimming tomorrow. Liam and Niall came a couple of days early so we could all spend some proper time together.” 

 

“I like the idea of that,” he nods and his eyes flick around the room. “You don’t have a window.” 

 

Harry’s eyebrows pinch together, “What?” 

 

“There’s no window. My room has a window and so did the one from my old home. I need a window.” 

 

“Why?” 

 

“It helps me sleep. I’d watch the London Eye turn until I fell asleep, and I’ll watch the lights here until I fall asleep. There’s no window in here though.” 

 

Harry turns away and grabs something out of his nightstand before presenting it to Louis. It’s a book. “Can you read to me?” 

 

“Uh,” he tilts his head and looks at Harry, “I guess?” 

 

The book is handed to Louis and Harry gets comfortable as he cuddles into his side. Louis has a feeling that the alpha thinks he’s slick by having him read as a distraction. He’ll let it slide though. “Do you get yourself a copy of every book you get me?” he asks as he looks at the cover. 

 

It’s become almost routine that Harry brings him a new book every week. 

 

“Yup, and I know you already started yours so catch me up.” 

 

Louis rolls his eyes and flips the book open to the start of chapter one. 

 

Both of their heads shoot up when Edward comes through the door dressed in sweatpants that hang loosely off his hips. His v-line is practically on full display. “Don’t start without me,” he says as he crawls into bed beside him and cuddles up to Louis’ other side like Harry has done. “Ready.”

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting this in between packing to stay the night at my job! Ah!

A sigh leaves Louis’ lips as he looks down at the outfit he’s wearing. It’s a pair of navy blue swim trunks that are barely hanging on around his hips and a black t-shirt that actually fits him. The three of them  had forgotten to get Louis a swimsuit when they went shopping in the beginning. He’s just grateful that Harry agreed to wear the only other pair he had: a tiny pair of bright yellow swim trunks that reach the middle of his thighs. What he was thinking when he bought them is a mystery. 

 

He pads out of the bathroom and down the hallway to the living room where everyone else is. 

 

The Twins, Liam, and Niall are already dressed to go swimming. Well, Harry is. Edward, on the other hand, is dressed in jean shorts and a loose fitting t-shirt. He has a binder and a couple of folders tucked under his arm, ready to be examined when the five of them all get to the ground floor. 

 

Louis and Niall had woken up far earlier than the alphas and prepared breakfast for everyone. It was once they all had sat down to eat that they started to beg and plead for all of them to spend the day swimming. Edward had gotten up with his plate of food, ready to hide away in his bedroom, before Louis tugged him to sit back down. The alpha didn’t go down without a fight though as he grumbled that he’d watch. 

 

The two of them had taken it as a win. 

 

“Party time,” Niall cheers as bounces out of the apartment. 

 

Louis doesn’t miss it when Edward rolls his eyes but he doesn’t comment and simply follows after him. Looking around, he tries to contain his giggle when he notices that the alphas are all the ones stuck holding everything. Liam has a mass of beach towels piled into his arms and Harry has the different toys for the pool such as a beach ball. 

 

“I haven’t been swimming in a pool in forever,” Niall says as the five of them shuffle into the elevator. 

 

Liam scrunches up his eyebrows as he looks over at the omega. “We literally live on the beach.” 

 

“A beach. That’s not a pool!” 

 

Louis, Edward, and Harry all share a look. 

 

Despite the dubious nature of some of the things Niall says and does, Louis finds himself to be quite fond of him. The omega always has a reason to be smiling and bouncing off the walls with energy. It’s also a nice ego boost when Niall appears to find everything he says to be funny. He has no idea why, but it’s a good feeling that he won’t argue. He’s certainly unlike any other omega he’s met. 

 

The elevator dings and Louis walks out, “It's this way.” He starts to make his way down the narrow hallway before eventually pushing open the double doors that lead to the indoor pool. 

 

“Whoa,” Niall says as he steps inside, “this is some Disney type shit. Alpha, we gotta move here!” 

 

Liam smoothes a hand over Niall’s bleached hair in an attempt to calm him, “I’ll think about it, Omega.”

 

“I’m going to go sit,” Edward grumbles as he heads over to one of the nearby benches. Louis and Harry follow after him. The two of them set down the various items they brought with as Edward makes himself comfortable. He kicks off his flip flops and whips his head around at the sound of splashing water. 

 

Niall bounces up and spits out a stream of water.

 

Louis’ eyes drift back over to see Liam and Harry tugging off their shirts so their abs are on full display. He brings his fist up to his mouth and bites down on the tip of his thumb. They’re probably going to expect him to strip out of his shirt as well, but he really doesn’t want to. 

 

Harry tugs on the hem of his shirt, “you gotta take it off to go swimming, tater tot.” 

 

He furrows his eyebrows, “Tater tot?” 

 

Harry shrugs his shoulders, “You’re small like a tater tot.” 

 

Louis bites harder on him thumb before Harry tugs his hand away from his face, “I don’t wanna.” He shuffles closer to the alpha and hides his face into his chest, “I have a tummy.” 

 

“A cute little tummy,” Harry coos into his ear as he tickles his sides, “I won’t pressure you though. Do what you’re comfortable with, okay?” He presses a kiss to his hair, “My little tater tot.”

 

“Please, anything but that,” he pouts. 

 

Louis lifts his head up to see Liam making his way over to the pool to greet Niall. The alpha jumps into the deep end with a splash. There’s no way he’s jumping in without inching into the water until it’s not too cold. It always takes him like ten minutes to get used to the temperature of the water, but he hates the method of jumping in and forcing it. 

 

“Harry, Louis,” Edward says to get their attention, “please no funny business. I don’t need to be taking either one of you to the hospital.” 

 

“No funny business,” Louis says with a firm nod. 

 

Harry salutes him. 

 

Louis wraps his arms around Harry’s bicep as they walk over to the deep end of the pool. Liam and Niall encourage him to jump in and that it’s like ripping off a bandaid. He looks up to see Harry contemplating it as he scratches at his chin. Before Louis can say he’ll do it his own preferred method, he’s being shoved into the water. 

 

He swims his way back up to the surface and coughs up a bit of water, “I fucking hate you.” 

 

Harry leaps into the water beside him and they eventually find themselves in a war of splashing one another. Liam and Niall are quick to join in as everyone starts to splash one another as much as they can. Louis has his eyes squeezed shut so he doesn’t get any water in them. 

 

“Knock it off,” Edward calls over to them, “you’re going to blind him with all the chlorine or some shit.” 

 

“We can take you out in our sleep,” Harry boasts as he tightens his hold on Louis' legs so he doesn't fall over.

 

"Those are some fighting words, Haz. Can you back it up?" Liam smirks.

 

Harry lets out a playful growl that causes Louis to try and stifle his giggles. "There's no time for giggling! Where's your battle cry?"

 

In front of them, Niall let's out some sort of screech before approaching them.

 

Louis squeaks out in surprise and grips onto Niall's arms as he struggles to sway him off balance. They struggle for a solid minute before Niall sends Louis toppling face first into the water. He struggles up to the surface for air and wipes the water from his eyes. Niall and Liam's cheers echo throughout the room.

 

“Beginner’s luck!” Harry screams as he helps Louis back up onto his shoulders for a second round. 

 

* * * * *

 

It’s almost an hour later that Louis pulls himself out of the pool. He huffs out a breath and pulls his shirt so it’ll unstick from his torso before flicking his wet fringe out of his face. Maybe he could use a bit of a trim. He pushes the thought to the back of his mind and jogs over to where Edward is currently flipping between a few different pages and scribbling something down into a separate notebook. 

 

Louis doubts that he would understand anything that Edward is reading or writing. He can’t help but feel bad as he’s been playing around in the pool while Edward’s been doing work related things. Sure, he knows the alpha is a workaholic, but he doesn’t want him to be left out in anyway. 

 

“Whatcha doing?” He asks as he skips over to the alpha’s side. His prediction was correct: everything looks like a foreign language. 

 

“Working,” Edward mumbles as his eyes scan over a page before flicking over to his notebook and scribbles down a sentence, “what do you need, Omega?”

 

“I um,” he massages the back of his neck as he glances around at his surroundings, “I was wondering if you would like to join us. Liam and Harry said you’re good at sports and we’re playing around with a ball.” 

 

“I’m working,” Edward sighs. 

 

Louis shows off his teeth in a smile, “please?”  

 

Edward waves his hand in a motion to shoo Louis away. So, he does the only logical thing and snatches the toothpick from the man’s lips before holding it out of reach. “Please.” 

 

“Please?” Edward looks up from his papers to stare at him with an unreadable expression. “You take my things and think I’ll excuse that because you said please?” 

 

Louis’ shoulders raise in a shrug. “Why um, why do you have this anyways?” He asks as he looks down at the toothpick in his hands before placing it between his teeth. It’s not a remarkably pleasant sensation or anything out of his expectations. He hands it back to the alpha, who merely places it between his lips as he keeps eye contact. 

 

“It’s a secret.” 

 

Edward doesn’t miss the pout that flashes across Louis’ face before he returns to a more neutral expression. 

 

“I’m hungry,” Louis murmurs as he starts to sway himself from side to side. His eyes gazing down at his bare feet. 

 

“Then you should have eaten when we had room service for lunch. I told you that you’d get hungry during swimming.” 

 

“I did eat!”

 

Edward gives him an unamused look, “picking off of mine and Harry’s plates doesn’t count.” 

 

Louis groans and hides his face into Edward’s shoulder. 

 

The alpha turns his head and presses a quick kiss to Louis’ temple, “please let me work, Omega.”

 

“Okay, Alpha,” Louis squeaks out as he turns his back to Edward quickly. He raises his hands to his face to hide the blush that’s spread across his cheeks. 

  
  
  



	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a new laptop! Now, I can finally type without the hinderance of having to copy and paste the letters w and s. Try that one out, oof. How have you all been? Good I hope. Me, on the other hand, I just celebrated my twenty-first birthday yesterday! Well.. celebrate as much as you can when you spent half of it at the ER due to a high fever and strep throat. This month just has not treated me well at all.

“We could play soccer?” Niall suggests as he lolls his head to the side.

 

“Inside?” Louis asks and knits his eyebrows together, “Edward and Harry would kill me if I broke something.” 

 

Niall throws his head back and laughs out, “Not that they can’t buy a new one or anything. I’m a bit of a mess so I’m always breaking stuff whether it’s at home or going out to eat. I can tell Liam gets annoyed, but he loves me too much to get rid of me.”

 

Louis just shakes his head and smiles. He’s been spending the day with Niall since The Twins and Liam have gone to the office to work. They said that they would be home around dinnertime, like Edward and Harry usually are when it’s been the three of them. It’s not a lot of fun for Louis or Niall since there’s nothing to really do. Aside from an indoor pool, all he has left to do is lounge around the apartment. 

 

With a dramatic sigh, Louis rolls over onto his stomach. The entire morning has been uneventful as Niall had slept through most of it and has only whined about wanting to go out. Louis doesn’t blame him though as he’d love to go out somewhere. Due to his time with Zayn, he’s learned to be okay being cooped up inside unless he was needed to help the man’s image in the media. 

 

Louis rests his head in his arms as he peers out the large window. The view he has is almost like a picture taken from the Internet of a busy New York city. Taxis are beyond crowded among the main street.

 

“Why must Liam be so uptight,” Niall groans, “I’m perfectly capable of going out to the store on my own or to a movie. I love movie theater popcorn.” 

 

“We’re defenseless omegas, didn’t you know?” Louis says with a roll of his eyes. Defenseless. Give him a break. Alphas wouldn’t be here or as successful as they are if it weren’t for omegas. 

 

“Sometimes I hate those knotheads… they’ve got a vending machine in the building, right? You guys don’t have anything good.” 

 

Louis shrugs his shoulders, “I don’t really wander around the building. I just stay in the apartment and read, usually.” 

 

Niall jumps up to his feet and let’s the fuzzy blanket fall off his shoulders, “let’s go on an adventure!” 

 

“An adventure for a vending machine?” Louis assumes as he pushes himself off the couch and walks over to the front door. He slides on his only pair of shoes and Niall does the same. 

 

Apart from the new addition of their shoes, Louis and Niall are still wearing the clothes they went to sleep in last night. Niall looks a bit more presentable to the public as he’s wearing a pair of blue basketball shorts and a plain white t-shirt. Louis, on the other hand, is wearing blue pajama pants with little clouds prints across them and one of Edward’s long sleeved shirts that continue to slip off his shoulders. 

 

Louis shuffles after Niall out of the apartment and they start walking to their left, “do you have any idea where it is?” 

 

“Nope! I’m just hoping they have one on this floor,” Niall chirps out as they continue walking in the direction of the elevator, “how many floors are in this place anyways?” 

 

“Er twelve, I think?” He says and shrugs his shoulders. 

 

“Found it!” 

 

The two of them round the corner into a space similar to a small room that has a vending machine full of snacks, a vending machine of different drinks, and an ice machine that’s bigger than Louis and Niall combined. Why is it so big? Louis automatically follows Niall over to the one with snacks and listens as Niall murmurs about his struggle to choose. He doesn’t blame him in the slightest. Personally, he can’t even recognize half of the items. 

 

“What are you two doing in here?” A man asks as he walks into the area. He’s close to six feet tall and Louis is forced to look up to see the man’s face. Given how strong his scent is, he’s definitely an alpha. “We don’t allow prostitutes in the building. Keep your shit out on the streets.” 

 

“Prostitute?” Louis finds himself whispering to himself. 

 

Niall does the opposite of what Louis thought he would, and steps closer to the alpha that towers over them. “Prostitute? Is that the best you could come up with in that tiny knotheaded mind? Just because I’m an omega, it doesn’t mean shit!” 

 

Louis’ eyes widen and he pulls Niall back by his shoulders, “Niall…” 

 

The man takes a step towards them as they take another step back. Two smaller males rush into the room, one immediately telling the alpha to back off. “Fuck off, man. I don’t like omegas stinking up the damn place. They don’t belong here.” 

 

“We belong here just as much as you do!” Niall shouts as he tries to lunge at him. 

 

Louis and the two betas jump into action as they keep Niall and the alpha apart. Even if they’re the same size, Niall is ridiculously strong for his size and secondary gender. He’s struggling to keep him back from ripping out the man’s throat. 

 

And by the looks of it, the alpha looks ready to do the same. 

 

Niall is lifted up by the collar of his shirt as the alpha seethes, “you’re nothing. Omegas are nothing but a hindrance on the rest of us.” 

 

The two betas manage to pry the alpha away and shove him off in a different direction while telling him to cool down. Louis turns and wraps Niall up into a hug, nuzzling his face into his neck. “I thought he was going to harm you and that I’d have to tell Liam.” 

 

Niall waves him off, “I’m untouchable. Liam would never let any true harm come to me.” 

 

Louis finds himself just shaking his head. What type of omega is this guy? Then again, he thinks he can remember a time when he used to be the same way. It’s crazy how much can truly change in the span of a year. He lets the thought roll away as he tries to tug Niall in the direction of the apartment. 

 

“I still want my snacks,” Niall states and turns away to face the vending machine. He taps his chin in thought. 

 

“Make it quick,” he grumbles. 

 

Niall ends up purchasing an armful of snacks before the two of them walk back to the apartment. He then dumps the different bags onto the couch cushion, “I need to call Liam before we do anything else. He’s going to start coddling me again.” 

 

“Why do you have to tell him?” Louis asks with a tilt of his head. 

 

“Because he’s my alpha, Lou. We made a promise to each other when we bonded and that was for us to work as a team. I owe it to him to tell him what happened. He’s supposed to help protect me and he can’t do that if he doesn’t know what’s going on.” Niall stares down at his phone and clutches it to his chest. “I’m gonna go call him.” 

 

Louis watches Niall bring the phone to his ear and walk into the bedroom they’re staying in. The door shuts behind him and Louis takes it upon himself to lie down on the couch while he waits. He starts to pick at his fingernails and sighs. He doesn’t come from a place where alphas truly take care of and protect their mate. It’s never been something he’s experienced himself. 

 

A shrill ringing sound stops Louis’ train of thought. He fumbles through the mass of blankets before finding his phone, Edward’s face flashes across the screen and he feels frozen in place. Liam had to havef told Edward what happened. He’s going to be in so much trouble for the alpha coming at Niall. With shaky hands, he answers the call. 

 

“Omega, are you okay? Liam just told me what happened.” Edward says in a rushed pace, “I swear I’ll rip that man’s knot off when I get home. I’m so sorry I’ve put you in a position like that.” 

 

Louis doesn’t know what to say. 

 

“Breathe, Lou. I’m not mad at you.” 

 

Harry appears to rip the phone from Edward as he cuts in, “Baby, are you okay? I’ll pack up my things and come home right now-” 

 

“No!” Louis shouts before his eyes widen at his outburst. He takes a breath. “No, Harry. Work is important and I don’t want either of you leaving early. I promise that I’ll keep Niall in the apartment until you guys get home.” 

 

“It’s not only Niall that we worry about,” Harry says. 

 

Edward adds to his statement, “You mean a lot to us, Louis. We’re here to care for you as if you’re our omega.” 

 

Louis bites down on his lip harshly. What does he say to that? He shakes his head to himself as he sees Niall coming out of the bedroom, “I’ll see you guys later. Goodbye.” 

 

“Ed and Harry call you?” Niall says with a smirk as he plops down onto the couch. 

 

He murmurs softly, “something like that.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Random but like... I hate how this fic's writing has turned out. I swear I'm so much better than this ): I think this fic in particular has taught me to either write and perfect my fic before I start posting or to at least have half of it written already. Would you all want to see more styles twins/triplets fics in the future? I have this one idea of an all boys boarding school and I like it a lot. Don't know when I'd ever get around to writing it though if I were to write it. Comment down below what you'd like to see from me! x


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my beta !!

Louis has his arms crossed over his chest as he sighs. It feels like he’s been standing around this store for hours even though it’s probably only been five minutes. He’s already gone shopping for clothes with Edward and Harry. He really doesn’t think being here in particular is worth anyone’s time. 

 

“-and you said it could take a few hours for it to be altered by tonight?” Harry reassures. 

 

It was this morning when Harry had a dilemma about which of his tuxes to wear. Him being him, he had at least twelve of them and didn’t want to be too flashy but also didn’t want to look like everyone else. After finally deciding on a red and black striped suit, Harry realized that they forgot to buy Louis a suit. 

 

Louis had been more stressed by the fact he was expected to attend a business dinner. 

 

Since coming to the sad realization that Edward and Harry weren’t budging on Louis’ attendance, he’s been nothing but a bundle of nerves. The last event he had gone to was when he met Harry out on the balcony. Despite the positive turnout, he still remembers visibly about how Zayn treated him in front of everyone. It’s how Zayn always treated him. 

 

Louis hadn’t spent that evening with the twins as he merely passed by them for a minute. He has no idea how Edward or Harry act when they’re mingling with other wealthy alphas, or how they’ll act now that he’s here. There’s no doubt in his mind that the twins are good and respectable men. Truly. He can’t ignore how people tend to act differently in groups of other people, especially those you’re trying to get along with and impress. 

 

An outfit is thrust into Louis’ chest and he barely manages to save it from falling to the floor. He looks up to meet Harry’s gaze. 

 

“Go on and try it on,” He urges and motions towards the dressing room. 

 

Louis bites his lip and nods before excusing himself into the stall that’s supposed to be a dressing room. From how fancy the store looks, he expected a nicer area to change in. It’s a tight fit for himself, and he’s an omega so naturally he’s smaller in size, and he’s afraid of hitting his arm on the wall.

 

He shakes his head to himself and changes into the suit. It consists of black trousers, a black button up, and a silver jacket that has a bit of sheen to it. 

 

There’s a collection of whistling and compliments when Louis steps out of the room to show everyone. He looks down at himself and he doesn’t actually mind it at all. Since Harry is the one who brought him and Niall here, he had been sure that he’d be coerced into wearing something more flashy. Either way, he’s happy that it’s a tux he’s shopping for and not a dress. That would take forever. 

 

“I like it,” Harry starts, “but I want you to try on a few more so we really know which one to go with.” 

 

“Do you have anything else in mind?” the worker asks as she wraps a string around her hand before unwrapping it again. She’s been doing it since they all got here. 

 

Harry rubs a hand over his jaw as he inspects Louis, “Do you have a maroon suit? Mine has red stripes so if we could coordinate, that would be great.” 

 

It didn’t take a genius to notice how invested Harry is when it comes to fashion. The alpha had ten times the amount of clothes as his brother and he was always making sure he looked his best when leaving the apartment. Even if that only meant going to get the mail. Louis liked to look decent, but he could never understand the lengths to which Harry went. 

 

He’d never admit how enamoured he is by it though. 

 

+ + + + +

 

A large chandelier glows as it hangs in the center of the room. There are four long tables that form a square and a white cloth covers each of them with ease. Along the walls to Louis’ left and right are decorative windows that have floral details etched into them, and he finds that his gaze lingers on the delicate work. There’s no doubt that it was handcrafted. 

 

Harry walks ahead of Louis and Edward to shake hands with a couple of men. It’s not unexpected since he’s the social butterfly out of everyone. Louis clutches onto Edward’s elbow a bit harder and instinctively presses himself into his side. Everything about being here is making him want to claw at the tie around his neck and walk right out of the building. He’s been to luxurious places, but something about tonight just makes him want to crawl out of his skin. 

 

Edward leads Louis over to the far side of the room to sit down at the corner where two tables meet. Louis and Niall take the seats on each side and the alphas to their other side. He glances around the room before looking over at Niall, who’s smiling over at him in a way that instantly makes him relax. Having Niall here is probably the only reason he hasn’t broken down crying or fled the restaurant yet. 

 

An arm drapes over Louis’ shoulders and he looks over to see Harry peering down at him. He’s tugged into the alpha’s side and instantly inhales the scent he’s become so used to. Everything seems to be off to a good start. Neither of the twins have lunged at the opportunity to brag about the male omega accompanying them tonight or groped him to show off. 

 

Louis hasn’t discussed his hatred for these types of events with the twins. He thinks they can sense why though, from the way Zayn had behaved at their personal meeting at home. If the alpha wasn’t ashamed to treat Louis so poorly in private with high end guests then why wouldn’t he act the same in front of a whole audience? As much as he hates being here, he’s at least glad that Edward and Harry are quick to comfort him through it.  

 

A beta waitress comes through the archway with a large bottle of wine in her hands. She wastes no time in filling up every alpha’s glass (omegas need permission from their mate to drink alcohol of any kind). Going in the opposite direction of her is another beta who is in the process of serving crostinos to go with the wine. Louis can tell that nearly everyone else is too busy chatting with one another to pay any attention to the people serving them. 

 

“Do you want wine?” Harry whispers to him as he ducks his head down to look at him. “Yes?” He turns to the waitress and nods, “Yes, please.” 

 

His glass is filled a third of the way and he gives a small nod to the waitress. 

 

She then moves onto Liam and Niall. 

 

Harry bumps his shoulder, “Ggo ahead and try it, Lou.” 

 

“You don’t have any,” he murmurs as he picks up the wine glass and spins the red liquid around for his own entertainment. Louis isn’t surprised by the fact though. From what he’s noticed, Harry doesn’t like to drink much alcohol. When he does it’s whisky. 

 

Harry shrugs and looks over at him, “I don’t drink wine. You, on the other hand, tend to lean towards sweet drinks when it comes to alcoholic beverages.” 

 

Louis certainly doesn’t blush from the fact that Harry’s noticed something like that about him. He brings the glass up to his lips and takes a sip. It tastes nice, but he definitely prefers the lemon drop drink he had the night they first met. Sweet and sour. 

  
  


Off to Louis’ left, Niall and Liam are involved in an animated conversation with one another. Then to Harry’s right, Edward has been pulled into a discussion with the two men seated beside him. Louis takes another sip from his glass and leans into Harry’s side even more than before. Maybe the wine will help pass the time. He sighs to himself and stares down at the red liquid as it fills out the bottom of the glass at an angle. 

 

A foot nudging at Louis’ pulls him from his gaze. His eyebrows knit together and he looks over at Niall, but he’s still too occupied in talking to his alpha. Maybe it was an accident. Then there’s a stronger nudge at his foot. Louis looks the other way to see a shit eating grin on Harry’s face. His dimples creating craters in his cheeks. 

 

Louis scrunches up his nose and nudges his foot back in return. 

 

An all out footsie war breaks out between them. It becomes a struggle to wrap their ankles together as they fight for dominance. Louis grimaces as he tries to pin Harry’s toes to the rug splayed out beneath them. Harry then manages to hook his ankle around his and they don’t realize that they’ve been giggling until a handful of eyes are on them. 

 

Harry clears his throat before giving a polite smile at everyone. He doesn’t move his foot away though. 

 

A man sitting a few seats down from Liam sets his glass back on the table, “So how long have the three of you been mated?” 

 

No one misses when all five of them splutter around their beverages and appetizers. 

 

“I um, I’ll be right back,” Louis murmurs out loud enough for Harry and Niall to hear. “I’m fine,” he reassures the omega when Niall tries to get up from his seat to join him, “I promise.” Louis then excuses himself out of the dining area and out the front doors of the building that’s sat on a busy street of the city. Since his arrival, he’s learned that it wasn’t an exaggeration when people referred to the place as the city that never sleeps. 

 

Louis doesn’t have the time to really catch his breath before the glass doors are pushed open again, revealing that Harry had followed after him. “I told you guys not to follow me. That I’m fine.” 

 

“You’re not,” Harry urges and embraces him as if nothing else around them matters in the moment, “I know you. I know that the topic itself is such a sensitive thing with you.” 

 

Despite wanting to push him away, Louis can’t convince himself to do so. Instead, he lets his eyes fall shut and takes the opportunity to inhale Harry’s scent. He knows that the alpha will cuddle him anytime he asks but it’s never something he tries to initiate. Harry and Edward have already done so much with taking him in, and he hates how much of a burden he’s become for them. It’s honestly a mystery to him as to why they haven’t tried to sell him to the highest bidder yet. 

 

Louis manages to pull himself out of the alpha’s arms and leans back against the brick exterior of the building. Yellow taxi cabs continue to drive past them and each one sends a gust of cold air that causes goosebumps to rise all over his body. He’s always been someone that got cold easily. Louis shakes his head to himself and tries to hug his suit jacket closer in the hopes that it’ll warm him up. New York is so much colder than London. 

 

“Does this feel like deja vu to you at all?” Harry asks and looks over at him. 

 

“A bit, yeah,” Louis admits with a slight smile tugging at his lips. The two of them have managed to excuse themselves from a party and end up alone together outside. He’s starting to feel a wave of heat spread through his veins and a twisting in the pit of his stomach, and he’s not sure what to think of it. Before he can try to analyze it, Harry speaks up again. 

 

“I’m glad I met you,” Harry starts as he toes at the concrete and looks over to meet Louis’ eyes, “I know it wasn’t exactly conventional given the situation and everything, but I’m glad it happened. It’s only been a little over a month and I’m already so enamoured with you, and so is Ed. You’ve basically managed to wiggle your way into our lives and make this nest for yourself. I’m always looking forward to seeing you each morning, and going to bed with you every night since Liam and Niall have been here. I think I could truly fall in love with you, Lou.

 

“It’s been just me and Edward for the longest time and it’s never really bothered us. We liked that it was just us. Ever since that night on the balcony though, there’s been this tug in my chest. It’s like I’m always wanting to be near you in anyway I possibly can. You’ve been through a lot of shit and I can tell, even though you don’t talk about it. I see the way you flinch when someone raises their hand. I’ve seen how you try to hide your stomach by wearing Edward’s hoodies. I see it, and I never want you to feel obligated to do things for me and him.

 

“We didn’t make that offer to try and take advantage of you or abuse you. Never. And I’ve been trying to make this transition for you as easy as I possibly can. I just…” He trails off and flicks his eyes away for a split second, “I like you a lot, Louis. Edward and I both do, and we’ve talked about it. Don’t be afraid to say no in fear that we’ll become aggressive or kick you out or anything, okay? He’s not here right now but I have to ask…

 

“Can we court you?”

 

Louis surges forward and connects their lips. 

 


	9. Chapter 9

Despite the sun hanging at its highest point during the day, Louis’ bedroom is dark. He has every curtain drawn and the light turned off. There’s something comforting about being curled up alone in the dark when it feels like he’s hit his lowest point in a while. He pulls the duvet around himself tighter so he’s in a cocoon and inhales the strong scent of detergent. 

 

Liam and Niall had a flight to catch earlier in the morning and Louis was supposed to accompany the twins in taking them. Nothing about his morning had gone as planned though, so he merely played pretend by saying he wasn’t feeling well enough to go. Harry had taken the time to replace all the sheets in Louis’ original bedroom and made sure he had everything before leaving. There’s been a pit in his stomach that’s buried itself even deeper from the guilt of lying. The alpha hadn’t even been fully convinced but trusted him anyways. 

 

Louis had been the first to wake up, all because his phone chimed from a notification. He didn’t get many of those as they only ever consisted of pending updates and news. It was news all right. A headline that read  _ Zayn’s money not enough? Tomlinson moves onto richer alphas, twins Edward and Harry Styles _ . Louis’ heart had jumped into his throat when he saw a photograph taken from the night before of him kissing Harry outside the restaurant. 

 

The used tissue is discarded into a small waste basket beside Louis’ bed before he rolls over to face the opposite wall. It’s like as soon as he was starting to feel more comfortable and settled in, things decided to fall apart. He digs the heels of his palms into his eyes to the point he sees stars. Why did this have to happen to him? There’s no doubt in his mind that Zayn’s seen it and will manipulate it to his advantage. Then there’s Edward and Harry who ignore the media like the plague, which lets everything fester up until they’re forced to speak out. 

 

It’s not like Louis has always been sensitive or cared about what strangers thought of him. For the most part he had grown up quite confident and comfortable in his own skin, and every opinion merely rolled off of his shoulders. Being in a secluded school and city isn’t the same as being in the limelight. Everyone’s constantly breathing down his neck as they await his next outing and move. If he says one wrong thing or acts in a way that isn’t seen as positive, it’s immediately blown up across millions of people. 

 

Up until this morning Louis had been on cloud nine. After kissing Harry last night, they had walked back into the restaurant hand in hand and took their seats. He hadn’t missed the way Harry continued to watch him out of the corner of his eye while also keeping his hand on his thigh through the rest of the dinner. Niall had noticed and smirked from behind his own glass of wine. The entire situation caused his cheeks to heat up and keep his head down, too shy to accidentally catch anyone’s gaze. 

 

Louis chokes out another sob and holds his face in his hands. There’s been a handful of names he’s been called throughout his life but there’s only a few that manage to bring him to his knees. To be suggested as a whore or gold digger were just untrue. He’s never been one to care about money since he was raised by a single mother and had four younger sisters. There was no such thing as extra money to spend carelessly. 

 

If Louis could go back in time and change anything, he’d make it so he presented as a beta. No one has a problem with betas, it’s only ever a fight over arrogant alphas and weak omegas. That’s it. That, or he would change it so Zayn was never the alpha to buy him. He would make it so the man never had the chance to know of his existence in the first place. Or maybe he would have made it so his own deadbeat father never found out that he presented as an omega, then use it to live in the lap of luxury for the rest of his life. 

 

Louis lifts his head off the pillow when he hears the door to the apartment open then shut. They’re home already? He rubs away the stray tears on his red cheeks and looks towards the alarm clock sat on the nightstand. It’s an hour past noon and Louis hopes that Edward and Harry didn’t arrive home expecting a hot meal to be waiting for them. The thought of making lunch completely escaped his mind. 

 

The door handle starts to jiggle and Louis immediately buries himself under the duvet in a panic. If the discarded tissues and bloodshot eyes are anything to go by, they’ll know that he’s been crying. He really doesn’t want to explain himself right now. 

 

Harry is the one to push the door open and sit down on the side of the bed, “I know you’re not asleep, Lou.” 

 

He stays still in hopes that it’ll somehow convince the alpha. 

 

With a sigh he continues, “When you’re actually asleep you don’t lie still. You’re like a wiggly caterpillar that likes to kick.” 

 

That’s something Louis had no idea about himself. He sighs and pulls himself up so he’s sitting upright, and keeps his eyes down. “How was the drive? I wish I could’ve gone with but I really wasn’t feeling well.” 

 

“Give it up. What’s wrong?” 

 

Louis chews on the tip of his thumb and tosses his phone into the alpha’s lap. The article is pulled up on the screen. 

 

It takes Harry thirty seconds to read through the entire article, then another two minutes for it to sink in. A scowl takes over his face as he grips the chunk of metal in his fist. “You shouldn’t be reading this kind of shit. The people that write this crap have nothing better to do with their time and only look to make more drama. What they said is a load of bullshit and I’m personally going to contact the fucking company-”

 

He lets out a long breath in an attempt to calm himself from his rant. “Don’t read these things, please. From what I know, you’ve never really spoken to the paps or anyone for that matter. So really all they can do is speculate and keep throwing out different comments in hopes that something will stick. Don’t let them get to you, okay?” 

 

Louis shrugs his shoulders and keeps his gaze down. 

 

The mattress dips under Harry’s weight as he climbs into bed behind Louis and pulls him into his embrace. He lets his eyes fall shut and leans back into the alpha’s warm chest, a content sigh escaping through his nose. 

 

“I’m sorry that we live in such a shit world,” Harry murmurs into his shoulder before pressing a kiss to the fabric. 

 

Louis doesn’t think he’ll ever understand why Harry insists on apologizing for all the wrongdoings of the world. It’s not like the alpha was personally responsible for some beta taking photographs of them. It’s also not like he’s in charge of what people can and cannot write about them. None of it is in Harry’s control, yet he takes it personally as if it were. 

 

Both of their heads shoot up when the door is pushed open to reveal Edward. He’s no longer wearing skinny jeans and flannel, but basketball shorts that show off his v-line. “What’s going on?” He says as he shuts the door behind himself for added privacy (despite having the apartment to themselves again). 

 

Louis merely ducks his head down, almost ashamed about the entire situation. 

 

The bed dips down again with the added weight. Edward pinches Louis’ chin between his thumb and index fingers before guiding his eyes up to meet his own, “Don’t hide things from me, omega.” 

 

“Some things were said about me in an article,” Louis eventually admits in a soft tone. 

 

As if he had caught on fire, Edward dropped the omega’s face from his hand. “An article?” He looks to Harry for confirmation then sighs. “Louis, you can’t pay those people any mind. Everything that comes out of their mouths is the biggest load of shit. I can’t tell you how many times they’ve claimed that Harry and I have a revolving door of omegas or that I’m trying to steal the company for myself. There are so many rumors and claims that I don’t even want to think about social media. And you shouldn’t want to either, okay? They’re going to try and come up with the nastiest things to say because that’s what brings in more readers.” 

 

Edward brings his hand up and wipes away the stray tear that’s trailed down Louis’ flushed cheek. 

 

“I’m so-sorry about getting so upset,” Louis hiccups and rubs at his nose.

 

The alpha shushes him and lifts Louis into his own lap from Harry. He cards his fingers through his hair as he starts to rock them back and forth. “You’ve been through a lot this past month. I would be concerned if you weren’t showing distress of any kind. For as long as you are here with Harry and me, we will be here to protect you to the best of our abilities. You are under our roof so it is only fair that we treat you as our omega to an extent.” 

 

Harry’s low voice speaks up, “How about we run you a bath, Lou? We can put in a nice bath bomb and you can just have a relaxed afternoon. I think you deserve it with everything that’s been going on.” 

 

“That sounds like a good idea,” Edward comments and already shifts Louis’ body so he’s being held bridal style. “I mean I have no idea what’s in your bathroom though, but I’ll run down to the store to get you a bath bomb if we don’t have any.” 

 

Louis almost wants to giggle. He can see Harry as the type of alpha who would worry over something as simple as a bath bomb, but not Edward. The man is such a closed off alpha at social events and he rarely ever shows any emotions aside from boredom and annoyance. “I’d love to see a big scary alpha like you browsing for a glittery bath bomb.” 

 

It’s Harry that lets out a honk of a laugh before clamping a hand over his mouth.  

 

Edward merely rolls his eyes, “Whatever amuses you, my omega.” He makes his way across the bedroom and into the bathroom, Harry flicking on the light for them, then sets Louis down on the closed toilet seat. Edward crouches beside the bathtub and turns the knobs until it’s to the temperature of his liking: hot but not too hot. 

 

“Is it okay if I undress you?” Harry asks before instructing Louis to raise his arms above his head and slides the shirt off. The moment isn’t sexual in the slightest. Instead, it’s a quiet moment with running water in the background as two alphas prepare a relaxed afternoon for their omega. Louis holds onto Harry’s shoulders for support as his pajama pants and boxer briefs are slid off and tossed into a nearby hamper to be washed. 

 

Louis’ focus is drawn away when Edward holds out a woven basket to him. There’s at least seven different bath bombs that come in a variety of shapes and colors. He flicks his eyes over to Harry’s then up to Edward’s for confirmation that it’s truly being offered to him, then he decides on a midnight blue colored bath bomb in the shape of a wolf’s face. He’s used to seeing ones that are pastels and in the shape of various desserts, so it’s a nice change. 

 

The water is hot as Louis dips his toe into the bath. He can’t help the instant reflex of pulling away, but he steps into the tub and sits down. “Will you two join me?” Louis asks with a hint of hesitation in his eyes. He’s not trying to cross any lines or make any problems arise. 

 

Edward and Harry share a look before they respond with a slight nod of their head. 

 

Louis slides himself so he’s furthest away from the faucet that had been running and folds his knees to his chest. The bathtub is nothing short of huge and equipped with jets, but he still wants to make sure that the two of them have enough room. 

 

“Scoot over,” Edward says as he guides Louis into the middle and sits down behind him while Harry sits in front. “Isn’t that better? Now we can both be close to you and clean you up.” 

 

Before Edward can finish his sentence, Harry has already soaked the washcloth in soap and started to rub it along Louis’ bare shoulders. “Just relax and let us take care of you, okay?” He murmurs as he soaps up Louis’ back then directs him to lean back into Edward’s chest. “We’re your alphas.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure you comment down below! It helps me a lot with finding motivation to continue this.


	10. Chapter 10

The sound of Louis turning a page is the only thing heard throughout Edward and Harry’s bedroom. It’s nearing night time as the window shows the sky’s vibrant colors, which are not quite as noticeable since the lights drown it out. He’s not too concerned with it though as he’s trying to read. Louis keeps his eyes glued to the pages before turning to the next chapter. He was given the book not even five hours ago and he’s yet to put it down. Harry had to take it away and make him eat before he could start to read it again. He may or may not have started pouting. 

 

“I don’t understand why you’re so captivated with that garbage,” Edward says under his breath. 

 

Louis rolls his eyes before he shrugs his shoulders, “it’s better than whatever you’re reading.” 

 

Edward cocks an eyebrow, “My book actually teaches you valuable lessons in life that contribute to success. Yours is no different than one of those catchy pop songs that never die.” 

 

“It’s being made into a movie so it can’t be that bad. I’m sure none of your business books have been made into movies.” 

 

“Four words: Fifty. Shades. Of. Grey.” 

 

Louis scowls as a growl comes from the back of his throat.

 

“Easy, Omega,” Edward commands as he reaches a hand over to soothe over Louis’ hair, “I am only teasing.” 

 

He subconsciously leans into the alpha’s touch. 

 

Louis turns his attention back to his book and closes it, his thumb caught between to keep his place, to glance at the cover. It’s an image of blinds spanning the width with an all black background. Red and white letters pop against the surroundings. He flips the book open again and starts reading the start of the chapter, humming a small tune to himself. 

 

He snatches Edward’s wrist to keep him from pulling away, “Don’t stop playing with my hair. It helps me concentrate.” 

 

“Where’s the scientific evidence in that?” 

 

Louis ignores the comment and preens under the continued touches of affection. Not only is the alpha stroking his hair, but he’s also curled up in bed with him while he reads a book that was gifted to him from the other alpha. At the start of every week he’s given a new book to read from Harry. The only thing that makes it even cuter is the fact that Harry will try to read the same book so they can discuss it like some sort of book club between the two of them. 

 

If Harry were here right now then Edward wouldn’t be picking on Louis for his taste in books. He rolls over onto his stomach and sighs into the crisp pages. Why must Harry be into jogging? Sure, everyone can agree that his body is definitely worth staring at, but jogging takes away from the attention that’s supposed to be on him. 

 

Between Edward and Harry, Louis has found himself the center of each of their attention. If Harry is in the midst of learning a new recipe then he’ll go annoy Edward. If Edward is trying to sort out paperwork then he’ll go whine to Harry for the alpha to entertain him. It’s like he’s finally settled into his new life with the twins. They’ve never made the comments Zayn had, but instead encourage and compliment those things about him. It’s a nice change that’s boosted his confidence in interacting with the two of them.

 

Louis’ eyes widen as he rereads the words, “What do you mean they’re dead?” He looks over to Edward, who’s looking at him like he’s insane, with his mouth hung open. “They were dead the entire time! Oh my God… I’m done. Nope, I’m done.” He shakes his head and closes the book, slamming it down on the nightstand. “I hate books.” 

 

“Books are just awful,” Edward muses as he continues to read his own book and lets Louis cuddle into his side. 

 

Louis buries his face into the alpha’s neck and mumbles an agreement. He inhales the calming scent of Edward’s pheromones that radiate off his body. With another sniffle, he raises his head to rest on the man’s shoulder and peers down at the book he’s reading. “What’s it about?”

 

“It goes through particular moments that defined iconic companies.” 

 

“That sounds kind of boring,” Louis grumbles with a frown, “no offense.” 

 

He chuckles, “None taken.”

 

Louis nuzzles into Edward’s shirt before rubbing his cheek against the soft material. Why can’t everything be this soft? He wraps his arms around Edward’s torso and closes his eyes to relish the moment. Louis doesn’t think there are any words that can be strung together to describe the amount of comfort he feels when he’s cuddling each of the twins. There’s a natural chemistry there from the dynamic of being an alpha and omega pairing, but it’s still a blanket of security for himself. 

 

Ever since Louis moved in, he’s been treated as an equal. They’re always checking in on him to make sure he’s not taking a dip in his mood, and if he is then they’re quick to try and cheer him up. After last night, Harry had gotten out of the tub first to throw some pajamas in the dryer for him so he could wear them when they were warm. They had handled him as a person who was struggling with something, rather than viewing him as an emotional omega. 

 

Zayn never did that. Instead, he would tell him to be quiet before walking away to busy himself with something else. 

 

“Thank you for taking me in,” Louis whispers softly, “especially when you had no idea who I was.” 

 

Louis starts to pick at a loose thread hanging off of the duvet. When he thinks back to his life with Zayn, he finds himself unable to comprehend how he became so content with it. He accepted the fact that he would be sexually harassed at events. He accepted the fact that he was to stay home all day with no interaction with the outside world. Hell, he accepted the fact that Zayn was sleeping around with other omegas. 

 

“I trust my brother’s judgement. And as usual, it panned out.” 

 

“Why must you always try to distance yourself from me?” Louis asks as he pouts up at the alpha. “It’s like a game of cat and mouse with you. One minute I think you’re finally warming up to me, then the next you’re practically soulless.” 

 

“It was your mistake for thinking I have a soul at all.” 

 

“Oh shut up,” He whines and hits Edward in the chest. 

 

“I’ve given you a roof over your head, a phone to play stupid games on, and Harry to succumb to your every last desire. And you tell me to shut up?” 

 

Without missing a beat, he replies, “Yes.” 

 

Edward rubs at his temple with his free hand and mutters to himself, “What have I gotten myself into?” He sighs and turns to the next page. “Why are you so wired all of a sudden? You were reading quietly just fine a minute ago.”

 

Disregarding the question, Louis takes the toothpick from between Edward’s lips. He inspects it, as if there’s some secret to why the alpha chews on it all day, “Why do you chew on this? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without it since we’ve met.” 

 

Edward rolls his eyes and plucks the item back from Louis, “Why must you be so nosy?” 

 

Louis shrugs his shoulders and watches as the toothpick bounces while he speaks. It’s fascinating how Edward never seems to choke on it, even in his sleep. If he didn’t know any better, he would think it’s the man’s lifeline. “I just don’t understand is all. So, why?”

 

“If you must know,” Edward sighs and shuts his book with a thump, “it keeps me from smoking. I was around the age of fourteen when I first started and Harry always hated it, whined about getting cancer and all that junk. At nineteen I finally tried to quit and I tried everything from those nicotine gums to behavioral therapy tactics. Somehow I started chewing on toothpicks instead and the rest is history.” 

 

“A toothpick got you to quit smoking versus every other method in the universe?” Louis shakes his head to himself. That is the oddest thing. He snatches the thin piece of wood back from the alpha before placing it between his own teeth. Abnormal. Where is the magic in chewing on this thing? “How-” Louis looks down to see the toothpick has fallen into his lap, “I can’t even get out a word with that thing in my mouth!”

 

An amused smirk on his face, Edward just chuckles. 

 

Louis scrunches up his nose as he brings himself face to face with Edward, their warm breaths mixing together between them. Any retort that had formed in his mind is instantly wiped away. From the way Edward’s pupils are blown, he’s only able to see a sliver of green that surrounds it. All he can focus on is how the blackness manages to only show his own reflection. As if all he can see is him. 

 

Almost simultaneously, Louis and Edward rush to close the space between them. It’s like they’re running out of air by the way their teeth clank together and they fumble with where to place their hands. Louis thinks his nose might be bleeding from how hard they bumped into each other, but he couldn’t care any less. He feels as if his entire life has lead up to this exact moment. 

 

The bedroom door swings open, “Iit’s so- oh. Well, it’s nice to know what you two get up to when I leave the room.” 

 

Louis hides his face in his hands, cheeks hot. 

 

“Can you blame me?” Edward says, his thumb rubbing in small circles over Louis’ hip. “He’s got to be the prettiest omega I’ve ever seen.” 

 

If Louis wasn’t so embarrassed, he’d punch the alpha. 

 

“That’s true.” Harry chucks his shoes off and places them into the closet. He huffs out a breath as he pushes his hair back out of his face, knowing that he needs a haircut. “You are quite beautiful, love. There’s no need to be shy about it.” 

 

“I’m going to get rid of both of you.” 

 

“As if you could resist me, Omega. You practically jumped me with how eager you were,” Edward smirks. 

 

Harry walks over to the side of the bed that originally belonged to him, but has since become Louis’, and presses a quick kiss to the omega’s cheek. “I need to go shower. Please, please, don’t have sex without me.” 

 

Edward throws his head back and cackles as Harry hurries into the bathroom, leaving a mortified Louis. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My beta actually liked a couple of things when editing my draft! I made it!


	11. Chapter 11

Before Louis can even think about composing himself, he’s clapping his hands together in an excited manner. A plate stacked with chocolate pancakes is slid in front of him and he can see the chocolate chips poking out of the chocolate syrup. His mouth is watering. 

 

“That’s one big fucking cavity,” Edward remarks. 

 

Louis simply sticks his tongue out at the alpha, then stuffs his mouth full with a piece of his food. His eyes roll into the back of his head as he moans in the back of his throat. Is this what heaven tastes like? 

 

“Do you two need a minute to yourselves?” Harry chuckles out as he cuts into his own plate. 

 

“Shut up,” He grumbles around his food before swallowing, “what did you get again?” He peers across the table at what Edward ordered and sees that he went classic with a belgian waffle, side of bacon, and two eggs. Louis already knows not to bother with Harry’s plate as he’s gone with a vegetarian omelette. No thank you. He stabs his fork into a piece of Edward’s waffle and brings it to his mouth, wiggling in his seat as he chews. 

 

It’s been a week since Louis has kissed each of the twins and they still haven’t sat down as a group to discuss everything. Though he finds that he doesn’t mind it. Why should he when he’s perfectly content with how things have progressed between the three of them? Edward tends to keep a hand on him whenever they’re walking somewhere out in public. Harry never fails to get his daily dose of cuddles while rubbing his thumbs into Louis’ sensitive skin. Then in between those two things, Louis always makes sure to sneak in kisses at random times. It’s nice. It’s easy. 

 

Louis licks the chocolate syrup off of his fork before sucking the prongs into his mouth. It hasn’t even been fifteen minutes and he’s managed to lick his plate clean. “Their food is so good,” he says once he sets his fork back down onto the plate. 

 

“It’s iHop,” Edward says and knits his eyebrows together. 

 

“I don’t care. Their food is still really good! I love it.” 

 

Louis glances up to meet Edward’s eyes, then promptly reaches across the table and snags the last piece of bacon. With a smug grin, he plops it into his mouth for both of them to see.  

 

Edward rolls his eyes and cuts into his eggs. 

 

With a glance between the two alphas, Louis leans back into the booth cushions. His entire morning had consisted of him trying to stay in the twins’ bed as long as he possibly could before he was booted out. His plans of sleeping the day away had been ruined as Edward threatened to make him leave the apartment in his pajamas if he wasn’t dressed and ready in ten minutes. 

 

Now, Louis knows that Edward and Harry wanted to take him out for breakfast before their meeting. He doesn’t know a lot about how their business stuff goes, but he’s aware of how important it is since they’re been stressed and preparing all week for it. From what he’s overheard and understands, if it goes well then they can triple their profits. As important as it is, they still took the time out of preparing to take Louis out to eat. 

 

It would be a lie if he said it didn’t make his heart flutter. 

 

Two handsome and hardworking alphas have gone out of their way to take Louis out for breakfast. Who wouldn’t swoon over that? Louis shakes his head to himself and looks down at his empty plate, dragging the prongs of his fork over the glass. What has he possibly done in his life to deserve this treatment and affection? Nothing, absolutely nothing. He’s an average person who’s out of his element entirely. 

 

How can someone like himself ever repay alphas like Edward and Harry? 

 

Louis frowns. It’s not like he has any money or anything extravagant that he can gift to the twins to show how thankful he is for them. Being an omega, there’s very little that he can do. He’s supposed to make meals, clean the house, obey every command, and offer up his body whenever the alpha wants it. That’s what he’s conditioned to do. There’s no possible way for him to get a job and try to repay every dollar spent on him. It’s just not a thing he can do at this point in time. 

 

With a small sigh, Louis tries to push the thoughts away into the back of his mind. It’s a concern for another day. His eyes immediately fall onto the twin alphas shifting in the booth across from him. They’re exchanging glances and Harry can’t stop toying with his bottom lip, a nervous habit that Louis’ noticed. He clears his throat, two sets of emerald eyes shoot over at him, “what’s wrong? You two are acting weird.” 

 

Edward and Harry share another look, then the younger of the two slides a small box across the table towards him. 

 

Louis looks between the object and the twin alphas. They got him a gift, why? He waits for Edward and Harry to nod at him, as if telling him it’s okay to go ahead and open it. So he does. Louis flips open the navy colored lid to reveal a bracelet laying on top of a velvet base. The bracelet itself is a simple dark leather with three silver beads in the middle. He brings the jewelry closer to his face and notices a set of letters engraved into them. The middle has an L, then E and H encasing it. 

 

“This is for me?” Louis asks in a whisper, even though he’s already sliding it onto his wrist.

 

“It is. Edward and I have them too,” Harry says as he slides up his sleeve to show off the bracelet. Edward following suit. “I know that we had talked briefly about courting back at that business dinner, but Ed and I agreed that we needed to make it a bit more official. Most courtings start with a gift and we thought that a bracelet would be a great way to start. It’ll be a way to show that we’re all in a relationship and that we’re connected.” 

 

Edward then speaks up, “The gift itself might appear simple, but it doesn’t mean anything less than full commitment. Harry and I plan on courting you with the intention of bonding. We take the act of courting and bonding very seriously, as it should be. As you and I both know, unfortunately, not everyone today places the same value on it as in the past. They do it on a whim or they view it as some way of having power over another. Harry and I aren’t like that. Not at all. We want a bond that will last a lifetime. We want to have a pup or two of our own. We want an omega to shower in nothing but love. That’s just the type of alphas we are, and we are truly serious about courting you. So what do you say?” 

 

How does he even respond to that? 

 

Louis jerks his head in a nod as he lets out a shaky breath. There’s no way he could voice anything with how many thoughts and emotions are running through his body. He wants nothing more than to be Edward and Harry’s omega. Their mate. 

 

How would that work though? 

 

A triad between two alphas and one omega is something Louis has never seen before, let alone been a part of. Being bonded to one alpha is a difficult task in itself, so how could he possibly be able to handle both of them? Especially when he’s never even been in a healthy relationship between himself and one alpha. He hooks his pinky under the leather cord that’s wrapped around his wrist and he gives it a slight tug. “How would it work? I’ve never been part of a triad, and the only ones I’ve heard about in school were between two omegas and one alpha. Not the other way around.” 

 

Edward nods at the waitress when she collects their empty plates and hands them their bill. He waits for her to walk away before he addresses Louis’ question. “I think it’ll be a little different than if Harry and I weren’t related. Personally, I’ve never seen or read of triads with twins or blood relatives. I don’t think it’s anything to truly worry yourself over, as I feel as though we’d be carrying on with how we’ve been. We don’t expect you to suddenly become submissive and obey our every command. That’s not a true relationship. We don’t really expect anything from you, actually. Harry and I just want to give you the world and more.” 

 

“And pups,” Harry adds with a goofy smile that shows off his dimples. 

 

Edward rolls his eyes. “Way too soon for pups.” 

 

Harry shrugs his shoulders. 

 

“Harry and I have tried to court a couple of omegas in the past, but they never worked out. It was nothing wrong with the omega themselves, but that Harry and I could never completely agree on one person. With you, there’s like this extra tug between us. We’ve both agreed that it’s like we’re subconsciously gravitating towards you more and more with each passing day. It’s nothing I’ve ever felt before and neither has Harry, so we really think you’re it for us.”  

 

“I’m glad Edward experiences it too, because I don’t think I could ever part with Edward for an omega,” Harry says, “I wouldn’t know what to do if you weren’t both of our soulmates.” 

 

Louis shakes his head and smiles small, “There’s no way I would or could choose between you two.” 

 

It’s true. To Louis, Edward and Harry are two sides of the same coin that makes their dynamic work so well. Harry is the perfect amount of affectionate as he’s always wanting to cuddle or be touching Louis at all times. Edward, on the other hand, doesn’t come across as emotional but he’s always there to listen to Louis when he’s having a hard day.  

 

He looks down at the bracelet wrapped snugly around his pale wrist and brushes his thumb over the engraved letters. 

 

“Ed and I will be getting your initial tattooed once we’re bonded,” Harry remarks. 

 

“You most certainly will not!” Louis exclaims with wide eyes, forgetting they’re in public. 

 

Edward merely smirks in response. 

 

Louis ducks his head down and instantly regrets his outburst. It may be entertaining to Edward and Harry, but it’s completely out of character for him and it’s embarrassing. He brings his fingers up to his mouth and pinches at his lower lip. Edward and Harry are so serious about him that they plan to get his initial tattooed on their skin. They truly see a future with him.  

 

It starts to sink in. 

 

There’s no way Louis can let Edward and Harry court him, let alone bond with him for life. No. He starts to shake his head, more at the thoughts than to convey that he’s second guessing everything. The twins have to understand that he’s not like any other omega they might have dated in the past. He’s tainted. He’s been with an alpha before. He’s been knotted. He has a mark on his neck where Zayn had tried to bond him. There’s so many things that only prove that they shouldn’t even bother with him. “I- I can’t,” he stutters out.

 

“Why not?” Edward asks, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table. 

 

“I’m not good enough…” He trails off.

 

Harry slides out of the booth and then into the same one as Louis, pulling the omega into his side. “No. You are good enough, Louis. You might not have had the best history with other alphas, but none of that matters to us. You have to believe that. Ed and I don’t care if you think you’re good enough for us. You know why? Because we know you’re good enough. You’re more than good enough. You’re omega, and that means loving you for exactly who you are and helping you through your struggles.”  

 

He starts shaking his head once again, “I’m not though. I’m all used up and not worth trying to add any value back.” 

 

Harry wraps his arms around Louis’ waist and lifts him up into his lap. “No,” He murmurs into the omega’s hair before pressing a few small kisses to it, “your value is not determined by what society says.” 

 

“I have to agree,” Edward starts, “if I were to go by what society values then we wouldn’t have ever taken you in. Harry and I would never have continued to live together once we reached adulthood. The three of us wouldn’t be entering into a triad. Instead, I would be looking for some omega to do nothing but pump out pups and stay on their knees for me. I wouldn’t respect you or any other omega for that matter. If any of us truly valued what society wants us to, then none of us would be here right now.” 

 

Edward runs his long fingers through his curls and sighs. 

 

“Society sucks, okay? Let’s not sugarcoat it. Harry and I have certainly given the middle finger to it, and I’m sure you’ve wanted to as well. I value what matters, and what matters is that you’re a caring individual. You’re the type of person who does things outside of their comfort zone to please others. You’re someone who views omegas, betas, and alphas as equals. You’re also someone who loves with everything when it comes to something or someone you truly care about. What more could a true alpha want in a mate? Nothing, absolutely nothing.” 

 

Louis sniffles and wipes away the stray tears from his cheeks. Why must Edward be so fucking sweet? He rubs his nose into the fabric of Harry’s jacket before murmuring a question, “since I finished my food, can I get ice cream?”

 

The three of them break into smiles. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I personally found it kind of cute. The next chapter, which will be posted next Friday, will have a bit of drama so you can look forward to that. 
> 
> For the month of October, I'm doing a Halloween themed one-shot each Friday of the month. A couple of them are going to be dedicated to the friends that I've made since I started writing this. I was curious to know if any of you would be interested in maybe.. a contest (?) to have me write a one-shot for one of you. If you would like that then comment down below! I'll tell you next Friday what I decide! (:
> 
> This is the masterpost I made for this fic so if you all would be kind enough to share, it would mean a lot!  
> https://writingstylinson.tumblr.com/post/187542403689/masterpost-the-offer


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> enjoy the attempt at drama!

There’s a wave of applause filled out the room when Edward and Harry walk out into view. An image of what Louis can only assume to be palm trees in the state of California is splayed across as a backdrop. In the middle of the stage are matching seats that are angled to face one another, one for the host and the other two for the guests. Between the chairs is a round coffee table with three mugs. Once the host and the twins shake hands before sitting down, the applause finally dies down. 

 

“Edward, Harry, thank you for coming,” Ellen starts as she scoots herself to the edge of her chair, “how long has it been? Four years, is that right?” 

 

Harry is obviously the one to speak up, “Yeah four or five years, I think.” 

 

It had been about four and a half years ago when Edward and Harry first appeared on the show. They were two of the youngest self-made billionaires in the world at the age of twenty-one. The fact that they were attractive alpha twins only added to the buzz of it all, and everyone can see why. Even after appearing on the show for the first time, they had been asked to show up time and time again. Being on television as big celebrities isn’t and has never been what the twins wanted. They have a passion for running companies and making money from it. That’s it. 

 

“And now you’re back! So what’s been going on?” 

 

“Well, we’ve recently sold one of our older companies,” Harry says with a shrug, “but I know that’s not too fun to talk about. Edward and I really don’t get up to a whole lot. When you’re running so many companies you really don’t have the time to go on vacation in Costa Rica or get into much trouble.“

 

There’s a short pause to let the words sink in, then Ellen is rebounding with another question. “You two are such young and attractive alphas though, surely there’s something you two do for fun. Have you splurged on a Porsche, for instance?” 

 

Harry chuckles softly and pushes his curls out of his face, “We do have one of those. I’m a bit expensive in terms of my taste in fashion. Everything is Gucci for me.” 

 

“Like we couldn’t tell!” 

 

Everyone laughs, and even Louis lets out a chuckle of his own. Harry is dressed in a completely white suit that’s equipped with gold buttons. The alpha sticks out in any crowd. 

 

“That brings us to the question that everyone’s been asking. Who is your new omega?” 

 

Louis isn’t surprised in the slightest when Ellen asks the question. It’s the entire reason that the twins have been requested to appear on so many talk shows, including himself when he’s not a celebrity at all. The topic itself had been blown out of proportion. Who cares this much about his existence? Who cares this much about who the twins are courting? Louis hasn’t looked at magazines or been on the Internet since reading that first article so he’s clueless. 

 

“His name is Louis,” Harry answers and his eyes flick over to meet Louis’ for a brief second, “and he’s absolutely amazing. There’s not a single bad bone in that man’s body and I want people to understand that. Yes, money was involved, but not in the way everyone assumes. It’s a personal matter so I don’t wish to say much about it, only that there was no intimacy before Louis flew back to New York with us.” 

 

It’s accomplished. Harry has finally spoken up about the situation and set the record straight, so now Louis can breathe again. 

 

Their eyes meet again and Louis feels his face start to turn red. The alpha’s stare is always so intense. 

 

“What are you staring at, Harry?” Ellen asks with a knowing smirk.

 

A large camera then pans from the stage to point at Louis, who’s waiting off to the side and out of view. He immediately freezes and holds his breath as he has no idea what to do. Edward and Harry had reassured them that Ellen wouldn’t have him appear on live television with them. Louis gives a hesitant wave, the sleeve of his sweater fisted in his small hand. 

 

Edward glances at Louis before turning his attention back to Ellen, “How are you and Portia? I feel like we don’t hear enough about the two of you. An alpha/alpha relationship truly deserves all the recognition you’ve been given.” 

 

Once the camera is back on the host and twins, Louis can breathe again. He’s never been so grateful for Edward. 

 

* * * * *

 

Louis brings a bottle of water to his lips and takes another small sip. Since the interview ended, Edward and Harry have been caught up with different things backstage. He doesn’t mind it too much as he gets to enjoy the privacy of their dressing room all to himself. The space itself is simple with a black sofa and various paintings hung along the walls. He doesn’t think it’s a style he would steal for himself in the future, but maybe he’s just become accustomed to life with the twins. 

 

The door swings open to reveal Edward and Harry with a basket in each of their arms. “Want some Ellen DeGeneres underwear?” Harry jokes as he holds up a pair of boxer briefs. 

 

“I think I’ll pass,” Louis giggles and shakes his head. 

 

He starts to rub at his arms as he peers around the room for the hundredth time. Only warm air is blowing from the vent on the ceiling yet he can still feel goosebumps along his skin.

 

“I told you to bring a jacket,” Harry singsongs as he holds out a spare to the omega. “You know you get cold easily.” 

 

With reluctance, Louis takes the jacket and slides it onto his shoulders. Not before rolling his eyes though. 

 

Edward adjusts the duffle bag over his shoulder and waves his phone at the two of them, “The car’s out front, but there’s still some fans and paps. Louis, just keep your head down and don’t say anything. H and I will try to make sure no one tries to grab at you or anything.” He lets out a huff, “Since when did people care so much about us? We’re not like some silly boy band or something.” 

 

Louis wishes he knew too. 

 

Edward is the first one to leave the dressing room and then Harry follows after Louis. There are signs hung along the walls guiding them to different places in the building, making it easy for them to find their way to the exit. Louis has never seen so many people crowd the sidewalk like this. There are fans roped off on each side, but it’s like they will overflow right into his path. It doesn’t help that there’s nothing but shouting and periodic flashes that are blinding him every second. 

 

“Come on,” Edward urges as he takes Louis’ hand into his own and starts to lead him through the crowd. 

 

“Harry! What’s it like having someone’s leftovers for a change?” one voice calls out. 

 

Another, “Edward, is it true you sold your company for Louis?” 

 

“Lewis, which billionaire do you have your eyes set on next?” a female voice adds to the commotion. 

 

Just as Louis goes to step into the car, he’s yanked backwards and another hand gropes at his ass. “-no one likes a gold digging whore! It’s a shame the Styles Twins have fallen for a slut like you!!” 

 

Then Harry lifts him by the hips and tosses him into the car, slamming the door shut.

 

Louis can barely process all of the events as they’re playing out and it’s getting harder to breathe. Showing up in the first place had been a mistake. Why did he agree to go? Why did he let the twins convince him into going? He shouldn’t be here. He shouldn’t be with the twins at all, period. If anything, he should be back with Zayn. In his bedroom. Reading. He should be kept inside that apartment and out of sight. That’s where he’s supposed to be right now. 

 

“-Lou? Louis, can you hear me?” Harry says as he rubs a hand over the omega’s back. “Breathe with me, Lou. In. Out.” He motions his hand upwards as he inhales then downwards when he exhales. 

 

“Head between your knees,” Edward is then pushing between Louis’ shoulder blades so he bends forward. “It’ll help.” 

 

Louis can only nod as he tries to choke out his breaths, head bowed down between his knees. What is happening to him? All he did was walk to the car and have some people yell at him. He’s experienced worse. Why is it all getting to him now? 

 

“You’re having a panic attack,” Harry murmurs to him as if Louis had been voicing his thoughts out loud. “Have you never experienced one before? It’s understandable in a situation like this.” 

 

All he can do is shake his head in response. 

 

Harry rests his hands over Louis’ shoulders and uses his thumbs to rub soothing circles into them.“We’ll be at the hotel soon so just hang in there, okay?” He then presses a small kiss to the omega’s hair. “Just keep breathing.” 

 

The sound of a phone chiming goes off repeatedly and each of the alphas turn to check their phones. There’s nothing for either of them. Edward speaks out loud, “Who the hell is texting Louis?” 

 

With pinched eyebrows, Louis eases himself into an upright position. “What are you talking about?” 

 

Edward is already unlocking the smartphone and pulling up the stream of text messages from an unknown number. 

 

“Give it,” Louis snatches the phone from the alpha’s hands without missing a beat. There’s at least five different texts and new ones continue to pop up. 

 

unknown number: saw the interview

unknown number: u act like we never had anything

unknown number: if i knew ud be a slut and fuck them i never wouldve sold u

unknown number: u dont deserve them and u know that

unknown number: if u had just been a good omega like ur supposed to be then none of this would've happened

 

There’s a stream of curse words coming from Edward and Harry, but Louis tunes it out. The black text stares back at him and he doesn’t know what to do. He knows exactly who it’s from and Zayn isn’t wrong. He truly doesn’t deserve Edward and Harry, he never has and he never will. It doesn’t take a genius to see that. How could he be so stupid to forget that? Between the kind gestures and gifts, he’s let himself get carried away with thinking he could deserve all of this.  

 

Why didn’t he beg for Zayn to keep him around? Louis uses the sleeve of Harry’s jacket, still over his shoulders, to wipe away at the tears as they start to slip off his eyelashes and onto his flushed cheeks. If he had covered up the failed bonding mark then none of this would’ve happened. Instead, he had been too fixated on making lunch. How could he be so stupid? Louis chokes out a sob before whimpering out, “I want,” hiccup, “I want to go home.” 

 

Not the home in New York City. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First... let's just bow down to my beta for editing this chapter for all of us. I'm sure she'll be sending me her medical bill for burned eyeballs. 
> 
> Second, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. This story has really been a learning experience and it's not exactly how I envisioned it but sometimes you gotta choose your battles, right? Anyways, the next chapter will be posted on Friday the twenty-seventh. 
> 
> Lastly, I just want to say thank you for putting up with my awful writing. This fic will be finished in November, even though I low-key want to just delete my entire ao3 account. I'm involved in two fic fests that will be posted in the new year, but like... I have no idea on where to really go from there once these things are finished. The Styles Twins/Triplets is so different compared to simple Larry Stylinson, you know? I have so many ideas for so many fics, but I can't write ten thousand words a day. Maybe comment below what you'd possibly want to see me write in the upcoming year?


	13. Chapter 13

With a grunt, Louis heaves himself on top of the three built in dresser drawers. To both his right and left are empty spaces with a bar along the top waiting for him to hang more suits. Above him are three shelves piled with boxes of miscellaneous items that belong to Edward and Harry. The entire walk in closet is his but he doesn’t own nearly enough clothes to even fill up half of it, so the other half is either empty or random storage. 

 

_ Quack _ .  _ Quack _ .  _ Quack _ .  _ Quack _ . 

 

If Louis could let go of the shelf to face-palm without falling to his death then he would. He curses under his breath and rests his forehead against the painted wood, “why did I ever set that to my text tone?” 

 

Edward and Harry had taken away Louis’ phone after the first set of text messages. Their reasoning being that it wasn’t healthy for him to keep reading them over. He didn’t argue against it and let them take it without much of a fight. All he wanted was to curl up in bed and sleep for the rest of the week. 

 

He thought they would be smart enough to turn off the phone or at least turn the volume off, but no. The sound of a duck quacking has been going off all morning and it woke him up at the crack of dawn. 

 

“Ha!” Louis shouts in triumph when he snatches his phone from the hiding spot. Then his foot slips and he’s falling to the floor. He groans and rolls over to hide his face in the carpet, his lower back throbbing in pain. Never celebrate early. Louis turns his head so his cheek is still against the floor and watches the doorway that leads back into his bedroom. Did the twins really not hear that? He shakes his head to himself before he sits up, back against the wall. At least he got his phone. 

 

The screen of his phone lights up and quacks again, showing the notification for multiple unread text messages. Is it bad that he let the twins change their plans and fly them all back home last night? If he had just sucked it up and went to sleep at the hotel room then he wouldn’t be holding his phone in his hands right now. 

 

Louis’ thumb hovers over the text message icon before finally pressing it. There’s a notification from not only Zayn, but from Niall as well. What could he be wanting? 

 

To Louis: that guy is such an asshole! why do those knotheads have to use twitter to make everything blow up even worse? 

 

What could be on Twitter that’s worth Niall mentioning? Louis frowns as his thumbs dance around, trying to think of what exactly he should search for. It has to be Zayn, right? He figures he might as well look. Since he doesn’t actually have an account of his own, he uses Google to find the alpha’s account. Bingo. 

 

@zaynmalik: Nov  10th

The thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies.  

 

@zaynmalik:  Nov 10th

Never trust a pretty face. 

 

@zaynmalik:  Nov 10th

I tried to keep him out of the limelight for his safety. Didn’t know fame was what he was after. 

 

@zaynmalik:  Nov 10th 

Just watched Ellen… I guess love can be bought for the right price after all. 

 

There’s over a hundred thousand likes on each of them. That’s over a hundred thousand people who’ve read what the alpha has typed and they agree with it. Louis quickly tries to wipe away the tears collecting in the corners of his eyes. There’s so many people out there who are taking Zayn’s words as the truth and seeing Louis as some omega that played with his heart. Why him? It feels like there’s no coming back from this. He chokes out a sob into his hands. 

 

Up until Louis had presented as an omega at the age of seventeen, a late bloomer, he had lived a fairly normal life. He thought he would turn out to be a beta like the rest of his family. He was so certain that he never even considered the possibility of presenting as anything else. Becoming a teacher was his goal after a few more years of school. All of his friends were betas and they did what any normal person did. He was seen as an equal. 

 

It wasn’t until a month after Louis’ birthday that he woke up feeling hot and sticky. He was seventeen, two years older than when most people presented, so the thought of going into his first heat hadn’t even crossed his mind. That’s when he had made the mistake of thinking he was merely coming down with a cold or something. He went to school anyway though, he’d be damned if he spent all night on his skit and not get to perform it. 

 

He went into a full-blown heat a few hours later. 

 

The school had somehow gotten into contact with Louis’ biological father, someone he’d only see once a year, and he was the one to pick him up from school. He hasn’t seen his mother or sisters since then. It would be five months later that Louis had been sold to the highest bidder: Zayn. 

 

Louis looks down at his phone again and pulls up the messages, blinking back his tears. Why does Zayn care all of a sudden? He was sold to the twins a couple of months ago and had found a new omega in that time. It’s only when Louis is seen out with Edward and Harry that it suddenly involves him. Why? 

 

Louis’ knuckles turn white from his grip on the piece of metal and he can feel the buttons on the sides as they dig into his skin. 

 

With a reluctant sigh, Louis places his phone face down into the carpet. He needs to take a few breaths and calm himself before he makes any rash decisions. He rests his head back against the wall and lets his heavy eyelids fall shut. Last night had been rough for him, despite how tired he was. His mind had plans of its own by running over the text messages until they were burned into his memory forever. 

 

Louis opens his eyes as if the words burn when they’re closed. They’re the only thing he can read in the darkness by himself. He glances at the clock on his phone to see that at least Harry should be awake by now, since a morning jog is how he likes to start his day. Then he’ll try to check in on Louis if he hasn’t come out of his room already. He really doesn’t want Edward or Harry to find him hiding away in the closet and crying. 

 

Using the built in shoe rack, Louis pushes himself up to his feet and leaves out into the hallway. The twins’ bedroom is next door to his and the door is left ajar, so he figures they’re both awake. He reaches out and touches the cold doorknob, holding his breath. Then he pushes it open as quiet as he can. 

 

Edward is in his usual spot on the left side of the king sized bed, filing through a mass of paperwork. Then Harry is to the right with his headphones in as he types away on his laptop. It’s a comforting scene to Louis. He knows that they’re not oblivious to his appearance, but merely letting him work up to whatever it is. 

 

He appreciates it. 

 

The mattress dips under Louis’ weight as he crawls to a spot in between Edward and Harry. It’s become his spot and his bed whenever he decides to stay in here. The twins act like it bothers them, but they all know deep down that they love it. They see it as their omega having made himself at home. Louis wiggles himself underneath the duvet and pulls his knees to his chest. Neither of them speak up, as if they know to wait for him to make the first move. 

 

Long fingers find their way into Louis’ hair and start to massage his scalp. A content sigh is pulled from his lips. Warmth manages to spread toward his small frame from both sides and it’s like he’s bundled up in nothing but two alpha’s scents. He doesn’t think he could ever leave, even if he wanted to. With another sniffle and shuffling of his body, he buries his face into Edward’s side. “Everybody knows.” 

 

Despite the words being muffled by Edward’s shirt, he still manages to catch them. His fingers continue to card through the omega’s hair, “Knows what, love?” 

 

Instead of responding, Louis thrusts his phone into the alpha’s lap to read. He doesn’t miss the confused expression that washes over Edward’s face at first.

 

Edward murmurs the words to himself as he reads along the various tweets. His jaw clenches. Then he looks down to see Louis already looking up at him. “First off, I want to remind you that you can’t let these words hold any power over you. No one knows exactly what went on between you and him, except for you and him. The world can speculate all they want and they can try to choose sides, but we know the truth. Second, I will get you a new phone and a different number when I run down to the office, okay?” 

 

“What’s going on?” Harry cuts in, his earbuds dangling around his neck. He snatches the phone from Edward and scrolls through the tweets. “What the fuck is this bullshit? I swear to God I’m ready to call his ass out and set the record straight. I fucking hate the media. I fucking hate Zayn. I fucking hate all of this Goddamn shit-”

 

“H,” Edward cuts in, “Harry. Take a damn breath and calm yourself.” His hard eyes boring into the other alpha’s skull. “All you’re doing is getting yourself worked up when Louis needs us both to be as level headed as possible. None of this is about you. It’s about him, and you need to realize that.” Edward inhales a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down as well. “We’ll change Louis’ number and block Zayn’s number right out of the gate. I have no idea how he even got his number in the first place so we just need to play it safe for now.” 

 

Harry nods along to Edward’s words and sighs, “I’m sorry Lou… I care about you a lot and it kills me when you’re hurting. I feel so damn helpless ‘cause I have no idea how I can help you in all of this. I’d do anything to make all of this go away.” 

 

“I know you would, Alpha,” Louis whispers as he rests a hand on Harry’s cheek. He leans up and connects their lips in a slow yet passionate kiss. Their lips turning red from the force behind it. Louis moves to cup the alpha’s face in his hands as Harry’s move down to cup his ass. 

 

Edward crosses his arms over his chest and huffs, “I’m feeling left out.” 

 

Louis giggles against Harry’s lips and rolls his eyes before moving over to the second alpha, “how silly of me.” He throws his knee onto the other side of Edward’s legs so he’s straddling him, then leans down and kisses him. “Better?” He murmurs against his lips.

 

“Much.”  

 

The sound of a laptop being closed and set down on the nightstand is heard before Harry speaks up, “We should all go on vacation.”

 

Edward and Louis both blurt out a response, “What?” 

 

“A vacation,” Harry says with a nod, “I think it could be a good break for us. A couple of weeks away from the world and media to relax on a beach or something. Where have you always wanted to go, Lou?” 

 

“You’re not funny,” Louis says with a shake of his head. He slides off of Edward’s lap so he’s seated between the two alphas. 

 

Harry frowns, “I’m not joking. I just checked the dates and we have the next two weeks are things that can easily be moved around. Might as well do something special, right?” 

 

Louis looks over to Edward. 

 

“He’s got a point. I certainly wouldn’t mind leaving the states in favor of Jamaica.”

 

“You two are absolutely insane,” he murmurs in disbelief, “you two are really trying to plan a two week long trip just because you feel like it? That’s so absurd.” 

 

“Where have you always wanted to go, Lou?” Harry asks again. A hand comes up to rest on the omega’s shoulder as he meets his eyes. 

 

Before he can second guess himself, Louis is already answering, “Venice.” He takes a deep breath before he lets it out slowly. “It’s beautiful and I love the idea of riding in a gondola.” 

 

“Then it’s settled,” Edward and Harry share a nod of approval, “we’ll leave in the morning.”

 

“I’m living with mad people,” Louis breathes out in disbelief. Despite his words, he knows that Edward and Harry can see the excitement bubbling up inside of him. Before he moved to New York with them, he had never been outside of the United Kingdom.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... that's chapter thirteen! What are your thoughts? I hope they're somewhat positive. Heh. There will be upcoming smut... and by upcoming I mean the next chapter. Sadly, that chapter won't be posted until November 1st. For the entire month of October I have a one-shot for each week. One features hybrid!Louis while another has single father Louis, so there's quite a range that might interest you. 
> 
> Oddly enough I'm ahead of my schedule in terms of writing. Which... doesn't really mean anything different for all of you, since it just means my posting schedule won't change at all. So yay for that. It does mean that I'll be able to dedicate more time to future works, though. In terms of the rest of this year. It's such a struggle with the Styles Twins/Triplets trope cause it's probably my favorite but a lot of people don't seem to care for it. Plus, I obviously could never put that into an original work to be published. Like ugh. So I'm struggling with the dilemma of a direction for my future fics. Bleh. 
> 
> By the way I truly do appreciate every comment, kudos, etc. Like seriously. They make me smile and I've put a ton of your comments away into a little folder for me to look back on when I'm feeling bad about my writing or anything like that.


	14. 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm baaaaaack! Did you miss me? No lie, I missed you guys. It's just something about meeting up with my regular readers every week. It's a nice feeling. Tell me how you all have been! I, myself, have been quite all right. I've started a new babysitting job and I officially have a new therapist (my fifth so hopefully this one works out). Even though I did not post a chapter at all last month, I did indeed spend that whole month writing up the rest of this fanfic. So what does that mean? It means that there will be no abandoning this fic! Go ahead and give it a read!

“Ciao! Come stai?” a beta man greets with a grin. He’s only a couple of inches taller than Edward and Harry but he’s slimmer overall and far less intimidating to the common person. 

 

“Hi,” Louis giggles out and takes the man’s hand before he steps down into the gondola. It rocks slightly against the water and he can’t help but squeak out as he grips the man even tighter to balance himself. He takes a deep breath. It looks so much easier and less scary in photographs. Thankfully it’s only a quick shuffle of his feet before he sits down on the built in double seats at the back. In front of him are two stools that are pressed against each side of the boat. “God, that was terrifying. It’s not as easy as it looks!” 

 

Harry is next to step into the boat, but of course he makes it look like a walk in the park. 

 

“Fucking hell,” Edward hisses when it dips under his added weight. He immediately glares when Louis and Harry try to hold back their laughter. The gondolier guides him to the stool opposite of Harry so everyone’s weight balances out the gondola. “Don’t say a word.” 

 

Louis and Harry exchange a look, laughter threatening to bubble out, but then they pretend to zip their lips shut in agreement. 

 

“Difficult, yes?” the beta says with an amused look. He then grabs the handle of a long oar and pushes the gondola forward to join the others already on the canal. 

 

Louis squeaks out in excitement as the gondola moves against the water, and he peers over the edge to watch the waves ripple away. This is the first time he has been on a smaller boat that’s so easily moved. He’s only ever been on a yacht for luxurious parties and they were never much fun. He looks over at both of the alphas, “Where are we going?” 

 

“Not telling you,” Harry says with a playful smirk, “but I like to think that you’ll have fun at our first stop. The second place is a bit more of a sightseeing thing. Those are my only hints.” 

 

He rolls his eyes, “Some hints those are.” 

 

From what Louis knows, Harry and Edward collaborated in planning the activities for their trip. They had told him on their way to the airport that they wanted Louis to see as much as he could in seven days and get a good feel for not only the history but also the culture. He would be lying if he said that the amount of effort they put into it didn’t give him butterflies. 

 

“Cuddle me,” Louis murmurs as he slides into the walkway between each of the twins and hugs Edward’s legs. 

 

Edward rolls his eyes but agrees, his fingers finding their way into Louis’ hair. “Whatever your heart desires, darling.” 

 

It’s another fifteen minutes before Louis and the twins are helped out of the gondola outside of their destination. On the outside it hadn’t looked like much as it was identical to the two on either side of it, but he was still curious as to what was planned. It’s not until he finally steps into an open room that has some sort of idea. There are two rows of wooden tables with a set of stools at each one and over a hundred carnival masks cover the back wall. He turns to the twin closest to him, “Are we decorating masks?” 

 

Harry starts to massage Louis’ petite shoulders, “Something like that. Now let’s go get our aprons, yeah? Don’t want any paint staining your clothes.” 

 

“You told me to dress comfy,” he points out, “these clothes can afford to get paint on them.” 

 

“Fair point,” Harry agrees and takes the two aprons that Edward holds out to him. Then he loops the top strap over Louis’ head before tying it off behind his back. “Then again, you could stain your shirts time and time again and I’d still buy you more.” 

 

Louis makes his way to the long table at the back of the room and scoots the stool into the middle so all three of them can sit together. The alphas seem to get the message as they sit on each side of him. They’re in the midst of a conversation so he turns his attention to the table in front of him and starts to pick at a blob of paint dried to the wood. 

 

A small family makes their way into the room along with the instructor. The family consists of a beta man and omega woman who’s holding a young pup that looks maybe two of three years old. Louis can’t contain himself when he coos at the little girl, and she turns to look at him before giving a shy wave. “I want one so bad,” he whines. Then his eyes widen and he covers his mouth, but by the smirks he’s receiving it’s obvious the twins heard him.  

 

“Whenever you’re ready, omega,” Edward murmurs to him with a chuckle. 

 

Louis rolls his eyes and swats at him. It’s not that he doesn’t want pups of his own with Edward and Harry, but he’s still adjusting to his new life as it is right now. They also need to bond. There’s too many things that come before settling down with pups that they still haven’t done. 

 

A plastic mask is set down in front of Louis and he turns it around in his hand. It doesn’t look like much, if anything he thinks he could’ve picked it up from a party store. He looks up at the instructor, an older man with a limp, as he starts to explain what’s next. A part of Louis can’t focus on what he’s saying though, as the little girl is babbling away like she knows what she’s talking about. He rests his chin in his hand and steals glances at her as his stomach turns. He wants one so badly. 

 

Louis closes his eyes for a brief moment and lets his mind wander. Would they have multiples since Edward and Harry are twins? Surely they would have dimples and curly hair. What would they possibly get from him? They could have his blue eyes or his loud cackle of a laugh. What would Edward and Harry think if they had a son who turned out to be an omega like himself? He would never be able to live with himself if his son was put through what he’s been through. 

 

“Omega,” Harry murmurs into Louis’ ear as he rubs a thumb over his neck, “don’t let your dark thoughts take you away from me. We’re okay. We’re going to have fun making masks.” 

 

“M’sorry,” he murmurs and turns to hide his face into the alpha’s shoulder. “Sometimes they just sneak up on me.”  

 

Harry smoothes his hand over Louis’ back and rubs it in large circles, “I know they do, love. It’s okay.” 

 

Louis wipes away at the tears he hadn’t known started to form and takes a shaky breath. Everything is okay. With alphas like Edward and Harry at his side, nothing bad can get to him. He’s okay. Louis sniffles and straightens himself up in his stool before looking over to see Edward focused on his mask. His eyebrows pinched together. “What on earth are you making?” 

 

“One of those doctor masks from the plague,” Edward says as though it’s obvious. Then he looks down at the piece in his hand, “You don’t think they’ll get offended, do you?” 

 

Louis can’t help the bubble of laughter that comes out of his mouth. It’s impossible to miss the hopeful smirk that Edward wears, so he leans forward and pecks the alpha’s lips. “I think they might, alpha.” 

 

“What are you going to make,” he murmurs and pecks Louis’ lips in return. 

 

“I think I might make a wolf,” Louis looks down at the plain mask in his hands and nods to himself,. “Yeah, a wolf.” Despite the fact that the population hasn’t been able to transform into their wolf form in over a century, he’s always wondered what he would look like. He does know that his mother’s family was a pure bloodline of the  Eurasian wolf but he still has no idea about his father’s line. “Do you know what kind of wolf line you come from?” 

 

“Canis Lupus Occidentalis,” Edward answers without missing a beat. 

 

Harry adds to his brother’s statement, “The biggest wolf known to the world. A lot of our family has moved to Alaska so we don’t see them as often as we’d like.” 

 

“Alaska,” Louis parrots, “I didn’t know anyone was able to survive the cold there.” 

 

Edward and Harry shrug. 

 

He shakes his head to himself and uses a pair of scissors to shape his mask into a wolf head. 

 

+ + +

 

It hurts Louis’ neck to look up at the building that towers over them. The St. Mark’s  Campanile i s a landmark that he hadn’t heard of until now and he has no idea how. He’s literally standing at the foot of a three hundred and twenty-three foot tall building equipped with five large bells dangling at the top. How could anyone miss it? 

 

A hand rests on the small of Louis’ back and he’s guided in through the entrance alongside his alphas. He tries his best not to bump into the people already inside that are fighting their way in and out of the building. Edward is the one to take the lead as he guides Louis and Harry into the elevator. 

 

“I did my research on the history of it,” Harry says as caresses his thumbs into Louis’ shoulderblades, “if you’re interested in that kind of thing.” 

 

The elevator doors fall shut and Louis reaches out to hold onto Edward’s hand. He nods his head, “Please.”

 

“Well, the original tower collapsed at the start of the nineteenth century. I guess the thing attracted a lot of lightning which lead to fires, which makes sense. They eventually rebuilt it to look exactly the same as the original.  It was restored in 1912 and then inaugurated on St. Mark's day, exactly a thousand years after the original foundation was laid. That’s also when they added the handy dandy elevator .” Harry says with a shrug, playful smile on his lips. 

 

Louis steps off of the elevator and his breath gets caught in his throat. The view is amazing. He walks over to the open arches that let him see as far as his eyes can let him, the pit of his stomach twisting from being up so high. “What are the bells for?” he turns around to ask. 

 

“I’m glad you asked,” Harry grins and points to the first bell, “ Marangona. It’s obviously the biggest one and it was used to announce the start and end of a work day. Trottiera was said to announce council meetings in Doge’s Palace for the members of the Maggior Consiglio. Mezza Terza signaled for Senate meetings. Nona sounded at midday. Lastly, the smallest bell the Renghiera, also known as the Maleficio, was used to announce executions.” 

 

“Nothing like an execution to incite romance,” Edward remarks with a roll of his eyes. 

 

“Oh shut up!” Louis squeals and slaps the alpha’s chest. Then he focuses his attention on Harry, “Thank you for the history lesson. It’s a little morbid but I think that’s a common theme in history.” He shrugs with a giggle. 

 

Harry smiles down at Louis and rests their foreheads together, “I love you, Omega.” 

 

“And I love you, Alpha,” he leans up and connects their lips in a kiss. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again! How was it? Did it succeed all your expectations? Probably not. After this chapter there are only two more and the second one is kind of a bit like an epilogue. Even though I love this fic, it's been quite hard to finish off. There's so many things I want to go back and change or rewrite but now isn't the time for it. I might be able to in the future but who knows? Heck, I don't even know what the new year will bring. I just finished writing my fic for the HL Kink Exchange, this month will be spent writing my fic for the HL Royalty Fic Fest, and then next month will be spent on a fic for the Big Bang. Why did I sign up for all of these things? I have no clue. I'm lowkey drowning. Until next week!


	15. 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm currently listening to that Old MacDonald song while a baby drools all over my shoulder and a three-year-old strips. Babysitting life, I guess. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter.

Louis steps up onto the small ledge as his hands grip the bridge railing, and looks out at the view in front of him. A lot of the buildings look alike but he doesn’t mind it too much. The stone buildings and boats that line the walkways make the overall experience authentic, and that’s exactly what he loves. He doesn’t think there’s a place nearly as beautiful as Italy. 

 

A flash of light causes Louis to turn away from the scenery and he finds a sheepish Harry. The alpha has his iphone clutched between his fingers and the blush has managed to reach the tip of his ears. 

 

“Er, I meant to turn the flash off.” 

 

“He was taking a picture of your ass,” Edward remarks with a smirk. 

 

“Was not!” Harry whines, “I was simply taking a picture of our beautiful omega… who also happens to have the plumpest ass in the entire world.” 

 

With a roll of his eyes, Louis steps back down onto the ground and crosses his arms over his chest. Ever since he woke up with Harry’s cock pressed into his back, the alpha’s been relentless with copping a feel or making a comment every chance he got. “I’m not some animal in a zoo. I’m a lady and I expect to be treated as such.”    

 

“Exactly, H. Learn some manners,” Edward hooks an arm around Louis’ waist and presses a kiss to his cheek. 

 

“You say that like you haven’t already groped me twice today,” Louis cocks an eyebrow up at him, “and it’s not even noon yet.” 

 

“What can I say? You’re the subject of all my filthy fantasies.” 

 

“I can’t believe either of you,” he says with a shake of his head. Louis tugs Harry closer by his shirt and connects their lips in a quick kiss. Then he gives his other alpha a kiss to even it out. There’s no way that he could be able to choose a favorite between them, and he needs them to know that they’re all equal. “What’s the history of this fancy Rialto Bridge?” 

 

Harry presses a kiss to his hair before resting his chin on the omega’s shoulder, “It first collapsed in the year fourteen forty-four because everyone had gathered together to watch a boat parade.Then it collapsed in fifteen twenty-four after being reconstructed into a drawbridge. It wasn’t until fifteen ninety-one that they finally finished the stone version that we stand on today.” 

 

“My little history guru,” Louis says and pats Harry’s cheek before stepping away, “it’s so hot.” He uses his hand to wave at himself as if it’ll actually do anything. Since he’d woken up he’s been having random hot flashes. 

 

Before Louis or either of his alphas can suggest where they head to next, a young beta approaches them. The beta is almost as tall as him with the help of heels and she’s wearing a large sun hat. “Hi, can we help you?” Louis smiles at her. Though he doesn’t miss the possessive hold both of his alphas have on him. 

 

“Ciao, I am Eleonora and you are Louis Tomlinson sì?” She greets as she pushes her hair back over her shoulder. 

 

He nods his head with a smile, “Yes that’s me.” 

 

“I was wondering, if it is okay with your alphas, that I talk to you in private for a moment?” 

 

Edward and Harry exchange an entire conversation in looks between the three of them before they ultimately agree that it’s okay. The oldest alpha reminds Louis that they’re right here if he needs anything. 

 

Louis rolls his eyes and guides Eleonora a few feet away to have some privacy, “Don’t mind them. They worry about the smallest of things sometimes.” He flicks his fringe out of his eyes before smoothing it down. “What is it you wanted to talk about?” 

 

The beta glances over at Edward and Harry before she whispers to him, “They are treating you okay? Here in Italia it is wrong to hurt omegas and sell them.” 

 

He can’t hide the shock that crosses his features, “W-What? My alphas are not hurting me.” 

 

“My little brother is omega and that tends to make alphas stupid in the head. I want to make sure they are not hurting you. If they are, I can call the poliziotta.” 

 

“No,” Louis says with a shake of his head, “I have good alphas now. Before them, I would have probably needed your help, but not with these two. With them, I’m treated like nothing less than royalty. They take care of me. They’re patient. They love me.” 

 

Eleonora’s shoulders visibly relax and she smiles, “I am glad. Italia is a safe place for all omegas and I wanted to make sure that you are safe.” 

 

“I- I really appreciate that,” Louis pulls the beta into his arms and hugs her tightly. “The world needs more people like you.” 

 

“Thank you Louis Tomlinson,” she smiles and pulls away from the hug after a minute, “I am glad that you have good alphas now. I will not bother you anymore. If you are ever feeling unsafe, you can reach out to just about anyone and they will get you help. Take care.” 

 

“Bye,” Louis waves as she walks away. Once she’s walked off the bridge and towards the shops, he makes his way back over to his alphas. “Thank you for saving me,” he murmurs as he snuggles into both Edward and Harry. 

 

“Omega,” Edward frowns and pulls Louis closer to him, “what was said?” 

 

He shakes his head and wipes at his eyes, “I promise it was nothing bad, alpha. I’m just emotional from her kindness.” 

 

Louis wraps his arms around Edward’s waist and nuzzles his face into his chest. A few months ago he was living in London with Zayn, and now he’s vacationing in Italy with Edward and Harry. How does that even happen to someone like him? Fairytales are something that’s read in a book. It’s not something he was ever supposed to live out in real life. He’s here though, and he has two loving alphas to show for that. 

 

“Don’t get lost in there,” Harry murmurs to him and rubs his back. “Today is a good day.” 

 

Louis nods as he pulls away. The alpha has a knack for knowing when he’s thinking back on his past with Zayn or his family. He doesn’t like to think he shows his emotions so easily, but maybe he does. Then again, Harry has always been intuitive when it comes to him. 

 

“How about we go look at some shops? We can get you a souvenir to bring home.” 

 

“Lets,” he smiles and takes each of the twins’ hands into his own as they cross the bridge, “I’m sure you’re looking forward to their selection of leather shoes.” 

 

“I can’t help that I like to look nice,” Harry grumbles through a pout. 

 

Louis rolls his eyes and starts to swing their joined hands. “Can we go in here first?” he asks and nods towards the first shop, “and then we go into the next one and the next one until we’ve gone to all of them? I want to see everything.” 

 

“I think you’ve yet to learn that we could never say no to you,” Edward jokes. 

 

“Yay!” Louis squeals and lets go of each of their hands before rushing into the shop. It’s no bigger than a master bedroom but he’s already intrigued by the glass pieces that line the walls. He has a feeling that all of the artworks belong to the same creator given the similar theme throughout all of them. Between the different aquatic animals and tones of blue, he’s starting to feel like he’s at an aquarium. 

 

Edward comes up behind him and rests his hands on the omega’s shoulders, “See anything you like?” 

 

“I’m more worried that I’ll break something,” he giggles out. 

 

“Harry got distracted by the jewelry shop next door, how about we go there? A little bit more baby proof than this place.” 

 

Louis crosses his arms over his chest and pouts, “‘M not a baby.” 

 

“Of course you’re not,” the alpha chuckles before guiding him out of the shop and into the one next door. 

 

Louis can see Harry talking to a worker as he points into a glass case, so he makes his way over with Edward. It’s no surprise that Harry has managed to find a selection of beautiful rings. The one Harry is currently talking about is a coin ring with what looks like different shields that wrap around it. He hasn’t ever seen anything quite like it, but it’s beautiful. “I like it,” he says and smiles up at the alpha. 

 

“You do?” Harry asks as he examines it, “then I guess I’ll get it.” 

 

As Harry hands the ring back to the worker and talks about the price, Louis busies himself by looking at the display of rings himself. The gold ones aren’t really his favorite so he focuses on the silver. Not that he plans on getting one for himself, but he does prefer the simpler ones that might have some engraving along the band. 

 

Then he spots a simple silver band with three different stones on it. 

 

Louis bites down on his lip as he looks at the ring. It reminds him a lot of the ring his mother always wore alongside her wedding ring, three different stones that represented the months each of her children were born in. He had the month of December for himself while August was shared between his younger sisters Charlotte and Felicite, then March for his youngest sisters that are twins, Phoebe and Daisy. 

 

What could they be up to right now? It’s been years since Louis had been sold to Zayn, and even longer since his father took him away from his family. Why haven’t they tried to reach out to him? He’s been in the public eye for a couple of years now. Have they moved on with life as if he never existed in the first place? Does he have more siblings that he’s never met before? Do Phoebe and Daisy even remember him? 

 

What about his father? Has he been living in the lap of luxury ever since? 

 

“Lou, come back to me,” Harry murmurs into his ear before pressing a kiss to his shoulder, “we’re here to have a good day. We’re going to look through some shops and maybe get some of their fancy gelato.” 

 

“Sorry,” Louis whispers and shakes his head to himself. He didn’t mean to get so lost in thought. 

 

Harry smiles at him, “it’s okay, Lou. I just need you to stay present with me today, yeah? I don’t want you to get lost in that pretty head of yours.” 

 

Louis wraps his arms around the alpha’s torso and buries his face into his chest. “I miss my family a lot… we were all really close, you know? I told my mom everything. She was practically my best friend. My bio dad, Troy, he left right after I was born so it was just me and my mom for a few years. Then she married my real dad, Mark, and gave me four little sisters. The youngest two are twins,” he smiles to himself, “maybe we’ll have multiples since twins run in both of our families.” 

 

“That does sound nice,” Harry hums out and cards his fingers through Louis’ hair, “when’s the last time you saw all of them?” 

 

“Um, when Troy took me…” 

 

“Took you?” the alpha furrows his eyebrows. 

 

“I uh, I went into my first heat at school and for some strange reason they called Troy. So he picked me up from school and kept me around until I was the legal age to be sold. That’s how I ended up with Zayn.” Louis shrugs his shoulders as if he can shrug away the pain it's caused him. 

 

Louis is pulled into a tight hug and he can’t help but relax into the alpha’s embrace. With Harry and Edward, sometimes it’s like all of his problems fall away for a little while. He breathes in the scent that he knows so well. “I mean it when I say thank you for saving me…” 

 

“And we mean it when we say that we’d do it again in a heartbeat.” 

 

Louis nods and pulls away from Harry’s embrace, “It’s so hot.” He pulls at the collar of his shirt as it suddenly feels like he’s on fire. Why is he having these hot flashes? Louis walks outside to find Edward sitting on a nearby bench so he sits down beside him. 

 

“Are you all right?” Edward asks before exchanging a glance with Harry. 

 

He shrugs his shoulders as he tugs at the collar of his shirt, “I keep having these hot flashes. I have been all day.” 

 

“Hot flashes?” Edward repeats. The alpha leans closer and sniffs the omega’s neck, “I think you’re getting close to your heat, love.” 

 

Louis’ eyes widen and he looks between both of the alphas. His heat? When was the last time he had a heat? It was obviously spent with Zayn since he hasn’t spent a heat with the twins yet. He was also put on suppressants that not only made them occur twice a year instead of four, but he was also administered a shot that would keep him from getting pregnant. His last heat had to have happened in June, because he can distinctly remember Zayn mentioning that school let out back in the states. 

 

“I’d say you’ve got another twelve hours before you go into a full blown heat,” Edward adds. 

 

He finds himself nodding along to the alpha’s words. “Can we bond? During my heat. I want us to bond and start a family.” 

 

“Are you sure? There’s no undoing it,” Harry murmurs as he runs his fingers through the omega’s hair. 

 

“We just want to make sure you’re absolutely positive. Neither of us mind waiting till your next heat or even the heat after that. It’s all about when you’re really ready. There’s no rush.” 

 

Louis is already nodding his head again, “I want to. There’s not a single doubt in my head that I want to bond with you two. You two are my alphas.” 

 

“Then it’s settled.” 

 


	16. End/Epilogue of Sorts..

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Er, the end? I guess I screwed up the numbers-

It’s a tight fit for Louis when he tries to squeeze in between the leather seat and metal table. Edward had explained earlier that they would be traveling Club Executive, which is obvious to the naked eye from the ample space around the orange seats compared to tight fitted blue ones, and had the luxury of their own little section of the saloon. It’s no more than two pairs of reclining seats that face each other across a private table. The area even comes with free wifi and power sockets for all devices. Once he sat himself down in the seat by the window, he figures he kind of loves it. 

 

Edward is the one to slide into the seat across from Louis, but not without a couple of curse words when he hits his knee against one of the arm rests. “If this is spacious then I’d hate to see second class,” he grumbles. 

 

“Dive,” Harry teases with a roll of his eyes. Then he plops himself down onto the seat beside Louis and let’s his backpack fall to the space between his feet. He leans over and whispers into his ear, “I think he’s just grumpy that I get to sit with you first.”  

 

It’s Louis’ turn to roll his eyes. On the trip over to the train station, Edward and Harry had spent half of the time bickering like children over who would get to sit next to him. Eventually Louis had said they could split the four hour trip between the both of them. That ultimately lead to Edward losing a game of rock, papers, scissors. 

 

“Shut up and cuddle me,” Louis says before pushing up the two armrests that separate him from Harry. The alpha wastes no time in pulling him into his side and then pressing a kiss to his head. Louis really does have the best alphas in the world. He rubs his nose against Harry’s jacket and inhales the familiar scent that he’s come to love. Something about it makes his entire body relax and feel like he’s at home. Then again, Harry tends to have that effect on him. 

 

He could also be experiencing lasting effects from his heat. 

 

Louis’s heat had lasted three full days, which is a significant difference from the seven days a heat would last without an alpha, and he couldn’t keep track of the amount of times he had been knotted. Was it ten? Was it thirty? He has no clue. What he does remember though are the moments he bonded with each of his alphas. It was almost a silent agreement between the three of them that Harry would be the first to bite him, as they wouldn’t be here now if it weren’t for him. Harry had bitten Louis’s neck, a traditional place, but he bit the exact place Louis had been dragging around his failed bonding mark. Upon inspecting it in the mirror, it would be impossible for anyone to guess what had been there before. He can admit that it makes him love the alpha even more.   

 

Not too long after Harry had officially bonded Louis, Edward had established their own bond. The alpha had gone for a less traditional placing and it could even been considered risque. Edward had growled that no one besides the three of them would ever be able to see it as it’s only for their eyes. It shouldn’t matter where a bite mark is as it’s about the love behind it. Louis loves it, even if it is on a raunchy spot of his body. It’s right on the curve of his right asscheek. “Your ass belongs to me now,” Edward had said while admiring the new mark. 

 

Thinking about that moment in particular makes the blood rush straight to his dick. God, now is _ not _ the place to be getting a hard on.

 

Louis adjusts his head so he’s not craning his neck at such an awkward angle, and looks over to see Edward pulling out a vanilla folder. “Ed,” he whines out, “you said you wouldn’t be working on our vacation.” 

 

“I’m not working. I’ve just got the paperwork for a house in Doncaster,” Edward explains with a slight smirk. 

 

“A house in Doncaster? You didn’t…” 

 

Edward leans back in his seat with a smug grin, “Oh, but I did.” He pulls open the folder and turns the stack of papers to face Louis, an image of a house on the front. “It’s three floors if you include the cellar but everything is on the ground and first floor. The kitchen, living room, office, and just about everything else is on the ground floor. Then all five bedrooms are on the first floor, so we’ll be close to our pups. There’s even a huge yard that they’ll be able to run around in.” Edward smirks, “and we’ve got all the privacy needed for making all the pups you desire.” 

 

A blush creeps onto Louis’ cheeks and he hides his face into Harry’s arm. It’s no secret that they all want to start a family as soon as possible. During his heat they didn’t use any condoms or a shot to prevent him from getting pregnant, but there was no telling if he was eating for two yet. An alpha wasn’t able to smell a pregnancy until two weeks from conception. Even if it didn’t work, they certainly wouldn’t stop trying. Harry himself was determined to knock him up with multiples the first time around. 

 

“Relax Omega,” Harry murmurs to him, “your scent is mixed with arousal.” 

 

He blushes again and nods, “I’m sorry Alpha.”

 

The train powers itself away from the platform and Louis can’t help the relieved sigh that leaves his lips. The three of them were not only on their way to Rome, but meeting up with his family that he hasn’t seen since his father had taken him away. Edward and Harry had decided to wait until his heat ended to tell him the good news. Louis had practically started to shake and cry while he begged them to not lie to him, but they weren’t. He was really going to see his family. From what he was told, his mother had been remarried to a man named Dan and she was currently pregnant with another set of twins. He’s missed out on so much already. 

 

Louis tries to shake the thoughts away and then presses a kiss to Harry’s cheek. Right now he has everything he could ever possibly need. A couple of years ago his life had taken a bad detour, but now his life is back on track. Literally. He’s bonded to two wonderful alphas and he has his family waiting for him just a few hours away. What more could he ask for? Nothing, absolutely nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The past week something unexpected and horrible happened. My pet ferret, Turtle, passed away after just turning a year old. That little guy was honestly my best friend and my motivation for a better future. He was... one of a kind. I can't even put it into words how much I loved him or how much this loss has hurt me. He was an innocent little baby, you know? So please, if you don't mind, send your prayers... 
> 
> Due to these circumstances, I've dropped out of every fic exchange/fest and have stepped away from any current projects. I don't know if I'll post anything before the New Year or what it would even be. 
> 
> Please understand and be patient with me.
> 
> Thank you to all of you that have stuck with this story, left kudos, commented, and shared it. Truly. You all are why I didn't give up after the first chapter.

**Author's Note:**

> Updates will be every Friday!


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